The Philosophy of Kintsugi

I'm making a new series of work for an exhibition called 'Beneath The Surface'. They are based on the regeneration of our city centre. It's a departure from portrait painting. I took some research photos and began to draw on top of the shapes and lines. It reminded me of 'Kintsugi' (meaning 'golden repair' in Japanese)…the art of fixing broken pottery with laquer mixed with powdered gold, silver or platinum. The mended objects often look more beautiful than the originals, their repaired scars adding value to the object itself, rather than disguise imperfections. Kintsugi is closely linked to the Japanese philosophy of Wabi sabi

"Artists experiment with the technique as a means of analysing the idea of loss, synthesis and improvement through destruction and repair or rebirth." 

Some of the early Kintsugi ceramics were mended with staples, then the process of repair was refined over time, re-inventing the repair with 'urushi' (laquer) mixed with powdered gold dust.

I've been looking through an archive of photos belonging to the developers and drawing from different vantage points, to make my paintings which started like this:

"The way of wabi-sabi is to find profound beauty in imperfection and to accept the impermanence of life. Wabi sabi celebrates things that are rough, authentic and modest. It sees beauty in the cracks, the frayed edges left, by time, weather and loving use. The wabi sabi world revers the natural cycles of birth, growth and decay. It reminds us that we are transient beings - that our bodies, and the material world around us will one day, return to the dust from which we came. Wabi sabi holds a powerful lesson about acceptance.

In a moment of reflection, try to become aware of the aspects of yourself that you view as imperfect. The traits that cause you frustration, self judgement, attributes you label as flaws, defects. As you ponder, different things may come up, a physical feature, a personality quirk or a behaviour pattern...remember that you are a universe of traits, features and peculiarities ...and it is only when they are fused into this brilliant combination, that you become you.

So, when imperfections bring up feelings of inadequacy, see yourself through the lens of wabi sabi. Celebrate the cracks, and flaws to see who you really are. Rather, view them as marks of your uniqueness and humanity."

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/05/kintsugi-the-art-of-broken-pieces/

Kinsugi can relate to the Japanese philosophy of "no mind" which encompasses the concepts of non-attachment, acceptance of change and fate as aspects of human life.'

http://www.queensberryrealestate.com

http://www.bandk.co.uk