Kintsugi and Identity
Sea Holly have been learning about the Japanese art and philosophy of Kintsugi, the practice of repairing broken objects by mending the breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. Rather than hiding the repairs and cracks, this process seeks to highlight and emphasise them, showing that there is beauty in brokenness. We looked at the challenges faced during our lives, the moments of learning and self-reflection, the injuries and the sad times that build character and wisdom. After writing these down on the back of of our portraits, we then tore up our pictures before repairing them. We hope you enjoy the results as much as we enjoyed the process.