Kintsugi 金継ぎ (Golden Joinery)- The Exquisite Art of Imperfect Beauty
Anybody who knows me, knows just how deeply fascinated I am with using metallic elements in interior spaces.
Metal accents, especially those in the gold, copper and bronze family thrill me to no end with the way that they infuse instant elegance and luxury into any space. Whether in large doses or small, metallic elements are always a winner in my book. So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered this ancient art that I believe has had a huge influence on art and design over the centuries.
Kintsugi, translated as golden joinery is also known as Kintsukori, translated as golden repair.
This ancient art dates as far back as the 15th century, and is believed to have originated when a Japanese shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, broke his favourite tea bowl and sent it off to China for repair. Returning from China with metal staples in his beloved tea bowl ( albeit being the standard for repair at the time ), the Japanese shogun was disappointed and decided to enlist a Japanese craftsman to come up with something more aesthetically pleasing. That was how the art of Kintsugi was born!
Beyond Repair To Creating Character
As a philosophy, this art of repair treats breakage as part of the history of the object - instead of disguising the cracks, this technique enhances the points of breakage with embellishment. It is an awesome philosophy and practice that is an antithesis to the current consumerist culture that encourages the discarding of old or broken things. This culture creates in otherwise basic objects, a preciousness that increases with age and use.
It reminds me of a book I read years ago titled Wabi - Sabi, a philosophy that conveys the idea of there being a beauty in flawed and imperfect things. There was a real focus on looking at things from the perspective of ‘no mind’ - judging a thing not by an idea of beauty, but by what it evolves into as it gathers character over time.
They considered the patina that a metal vessel acquires, for example, as a thing of advancing beauty as it ages.
While traditionally used to repair pottery, this technique is used on a wide variety of other materials as well. I particularly love the way that it was used on this glass vase.
And this gorgeous concrete vase.
The philosophy of Kintsugi transcends just the mending of objects and has a huge influence on our relationships with things, spaces, people and experiences.
I am blown away by the way the lacquer follows the natural break of the item, highlighting for me that sometimes following an organic approach to design – no mind, ignoring the forced ideal of beauty – creates insightful beauty. As an antithesis to disposable culture in interior design, it points to the importance of designing for function, longevity and individuality - something that the following of trends in design culture does the opposite of.
Great design that is specific to the individual and use of space, creates something that is special and creates a connection that begins a dialogue between the user and object or space.
How does this interesting discovery influence my thinking moving forward in interior design? Well, for one thing, it reinforces my absolute love for gold, copper and bronze accents! The right amount of metallic accents will translate any space from mundane to fabulous! And who doesn't like a little bit of fabulous in their lives?
It also highlights the need to think differently and intuitively about how space is used. Designing space for people is far more effective and long-lasting than designing space for the sake of space.
What do you think about this art of enhancement through repair?
Comments