Overview

A stunning book on kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with precious metals to highlight its history beautifully. A broken pot is made whole again, and within its golden repair we see a world of meaning. Kintsugi is the art of embracing imperfection. In Western cultures, the aim of repair has been to make the broken item ‘as good as new’. Kintsugi on the other hand, is a Japanese art that leaves an obvious repair – one that may appear fragile, but which actually makes the restored ceramic piece stronger, more beautiful, and more valuable than before. Leaving clear, bold, visible lines with the appearance of solid gold, it never hides the story of the object’s damage. Kintsugi traces memory, bringing together the moment of destruction and the gold seams of repair through finely-honed skills and painstaking, time-consuming labour in the creation of a new pot from the old. There is a story to be told with every crack, every chip. This story inevitably leads to kintsugi’s greatest strength. an intimate metaphoric narrative of loss and recovery, breakage and restoration, tragedy and the ability to overcome it. A kintsugi repair speaks of individuality and uniqueness, fortitude and resilience, and the beauty to be found in survival. Kintsugi leads us to a respectful and appreciative acceptance of hardship and ageing. Author Bonnie Kemske explores kintsugi's metaphorical power as well as exploring the technical and practical aspects of the art, meeting with artists and ceramists in Japan and the US to discuss their personal connection to this intricate technique. With the inclusion of diary entries, personal stories, and in-depth exploration of its origin and symbolism, this book shows kintsugi's metaphoric strength as well as its striking aesthetic, making it a unique and powerful art form that can touch our lives.

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9781912217991

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Reviews

Thoughtfully written and splendidly illustrated. * The Economist * You're given the opportunity to travel to Japan through its pages and absorb more of this brilliant philosophy on objects and life. * Stylist *

Author Information

Bonnie Kemske a professional writer and ceramic artist. She holds a PhD by practice from the Royal College of Art, London, in touch and ceramics. This followed ten years of working as a professional potter, and drew on her experience of being an American living in Britain, her love of Japanese tea ceremony, of which she has been a student for many years, and several years of training in dance when she was a young woman, which she says is the undergirding of her love of the human body, not as an object but in our physical experience of it. After finishing her PhD she took over the editorship of Ceramic Review (2010-2013), following Emmanuel Cooper who had been its Editor for 40 years. She has continued to contribute articles to Ceramic Review as well as many other international publications, including the Observer Magazine, Crafts, Studio Potter, Ceramics: Art & Perception, The Art Newspaper, and New Ceramics. She continues to write and/or present papers for diverse academic conferences and symposia. Bonnie’s interests focus on positive bodily engagement as an experience of art, Japanese culture including ceramics and tea ceremony, and contemporary ceramics. As with Kintsugi: The Poetic Mend, her first book, The Teabowl: East and West (Herbert Press) drew on her knowledge and experience as a potter, a writer, and a tea ceremony student. More information can be found on her website: www.bonniekemske.com.

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