Objects

AUOOI QI / 漆 — Chinese Lacquer Guitar Series

An ancient material, given a new voice.

QI / 漆 is AUOOI’s exploration of traditional Chinese lacquer through the form of the electric guitar.

For thousands of years, natural lacquer harvested from the lacquer tree has been used in Chinese art and craftsmanship—built slowly through layers, shaped by hand, and transformed by time. QI brings this living material into contemporary instrument making, allowing the grain of wood, traces of the hand, and depth of natural lacquer to become part of each guitar’s individual character.

Rather than treating lacquer as decoration, every QI instrument considers it part of the object itself. Traditional techniques meet modern guitar construction, contemporary sound, and AUOOI’s own visual language, creating instruments that exist somewhere between musical tool, crafted object, and cultural expression.

No two surfaces are exactly alike. Layers, textures and subtle imperfections record the process of their making, allowing every instrument to carry its own identity.

Rooted in Chinese lacquer art. Made for contemporary sound.