Moonlight (2021)
Roman glass, ca. 200-300 A.D.
Repaired with resin, calcium carbonate, urushi lacquer, ruby emerald [?] and 24k gold.
======================================================
Portland Japanese Garden
KINTSUGI
The Restorative Art of Naoko Fukumaru
Kintsugi, (pronounced keen-tsue-ghee), uses powderedgold over lacquer-repaired seams to magnify the beauty that emerges from breakage. This 500-year-old method ofmending damaged ceramics evocatively reminds us of theremarkable human capacity to overcome challenges and adversities. Artist and professional ceramics conservator, Naoko Fukumaru, combines state-of-the-art restoration techniques with traditional kintsugi repair methods to create work that highlights imperfections while exploring new possibilities for this noteworthy craft. Here in the Calvin and Mayho Tanabe Gallery, our kintsugi exhibition features Fukumaru's experimental work, which courageously divergesfrom tradition to express the redemptive potential [really?] born from the act of sensitively reconstructing something that has shattered. For Fukumaru, practicing kintsugi is not merely about repairing damaged physical objects, but finding new nways to celebrate the history, artistry, and symbolism of each piece by choosing to cherish rather than trash what has been broken.
Fusing kintsugi-repaired vessels with unconventional materials like thread, textiles, and surprising plaster forms of mushrooms, succulents, crystals, and animals, Fukumaru conveys a journey from vulnerability to strength. Urushi lacquer is at the heart of much of Fukumaru's work. In addition to helping rejoin the broken fragments, urushi can be layered to develop texture and three-dimensional forms.
It can also be used as a paint, which draws from the maki-e lacquer decorating tradition, where surface designs are meticulously painted with urushi then sprinkled with powdered gold or other precious metals to accentuate the designs. However, instead of the typical maki-e motifs of plants and animals, Fukumaru's urushi decorations are reminiscent of neurons, sparking connections between disparate pieces that she has attentively attached to the restored vessels. Delving into what it means to be beautifully broken, Fukumaru expands the horizon of kintsugi as a powerful art form.
The exhibition continues in the Pavilion Gallery
japanesegarden.org/events/kintsugi-the-restorative-art-of...
Moonlight (2021)
Roman glass, ca. 200-300 A.D.
Repaired with resin, calcium carbonate, urushi lacquer, ruby emerald [?] and 24k gold.
======================================================
Portland Japanese Garden
KINTSUGI
The Restorative Art of Naoko Fukumaru
Kintsugi, (pronounced keen-tsue-ghee), uses powderedgold over lacquer-repaired seams to magnify the beauty that emerges from breakage. This 500-year-old method ofmending damaged ceramics evocatively reminds us of theremarkable human capacity to overcome challenges and adversities. Artist and professional ceramics conservator, Naoko Fukumaru, combines state-of-the-art restoration techniques with traditional kintsugi repair methods to create work that highlights imperfections while exploring new possibilities for this noteworthy craft. Here in the Calvin and Mayho Tanabe Gallery, our kintsugi exhibition features Fukumaru's experimental work, which courageously divergesfrom tradition to express the redemptive potential [really?] born from the act of sensitively reconstructing something that has shattered. For Fukumaru, practicing kintsugi is not merely about repairing damaged physical objects, but finding new nways to celebrate the history, artistry, and symbolism of each piece by choosing to cherish rather than trash what has been broken.
Fusing kintsugi-repaired vessels with unconventional materials like thread, textiles, and surprising plaster forms of mushrooms, succulents, crystals, and animals, Fukumaru conveys a journey from vulnerability to strength. Urushi lacquer is at the heart of much of Fukumaru's work. In addition to helping rejoin the broken fragments, urushi can be layered to develop texture and three-dimensional forms.
It can also be used as a paint, which draws from the maki-e lacquer decorating tradition, where surface designs are meticulously painted with urushi then sprinkled with powdered gold or other precious metals to accentuate the designs. However, instead of the typical maki-e motifs of plants and animals, Fukumaru's urushi decorations are reminiscent of neurons, sparking connections between disparate pieces that she has attentively attached to the restored vessels. Delving into what it means to be beautifully broken, Fukumaru expands the horizon of kintsugi as a powerful art form.
The exhibition continues in the Pavilion Gallery
japanesegarden.org/events/kintsugi-the-restorative-art-of...