Kintsugi – Finding Value and Beauty in Brokenness
“With the increasing emphasis on Wellness and Mindfulness, as part of our annual retreat, our College was looking to run a workshop for our Fellows and staff.
One of our Directors suggested Kintsugi – the Japanese Art of repairing broken pottery with a mixture of lacquer and gold dust (ran by Kintsugi Companions). The idea behind this was that one would embrace the breakage and repair as part of the history, and not hide the cracks.
Being new to it, I was at first skeptical, and did not put much thought to it. But I was certainly proven wrong. The organisers of the workshop, Timothy and Christine, ran the workshop in a very personable way and one could see that they had certainly put their heart into the preparation and execution.
At the workshop, you begin to realise that the piece of pottery represents yourself and the cracks represent your faults. No words can express the moment you have to break your own pottery piece! The repairing and painting processes are not trivial but very therapeutic.
If I go on further, I will be giving away too much. You have to experience it yourself. My colleagues who participated in this workshop all agreed they enjoyed the workshop very much. They found it enlightening, and most importantly, took away something meaningful.”
– Head of a Local University Faculty (2021) –
This workshop focuses on discovering value and beauty in brokenness. The workshop is facilitated in three parts. The essence of the workshop is to create a space where each artisan (participant) is given the opportunity to reflect on their present journey in order to create a new one which is forged in beauty and enhanced value, in the midst of brokenness.
DISCOVERY ONE: 3 hours
- Introduction to Kintsugi – an overview of the art of Kintsugi and how it relates to our journey in life.
- The Form of Kintsugi – artisans will each be given a piece of pottery to break.
- Reflection – artisans will be given an opportunity to share their reflections on the courage of embracing our fractured pasts.
DISCOVERY TWO: 3 hours
- The Art of Kintsugi – artisans will be instructed in the art of mending broken pottery.
- Reflection – artisans will be given an opportunity to share their reflections on the ways we can live in a re-membered present.
DISCOVERY THREE: 3 hours
- The Beauty of Kintsugi – artisans will each be given the necessary tools to apply lacquer and gold/silver onto the cracks in order to complete the kintsugi process.
- Reflection – artisans will be given an opportunity to share their reflections on how adding value and beauty to broken pottery relates to leaning into a desired future.