Absolutely. It was at school. It was a small work, I had taken a cabbage flower as my subject, and that's what I lacquered. Cabbage has beautiful colours – purple, green, soft green – and I tried to express that, so it became a pretty colourful painting.

By studying at art school I was able to put in place creative processes and develop curiosity, so although I learned about art in a relatively traditional way, I had the tools to transform it into something else. I have invented quite a few things in my career or reinterpreted things in a different way.

I enjoy being innovative. I am always on the look-out for new products, new colours and new knowledge. I do historical research by travelling to Asia, at least once a year. Tradition is important but it’s also vital to know how to do things differently, it’s a constant back and forth between the two.

Spending hours in my workshop working calmly, listening to music. A special moment is when I open the door in the morning and my eyes land on the work I did the day before, and in my head there is a voice telling me if it’s good or not. It’s a unique moment that I can’t share with anyone.