imperfections are what defines us and sets us apart from others. This became particularly relevant to me when I stumbled across an article on Japanese ceramics. We live in a world where symmetry, perfection and eternal youth are idealized. Age and imperfections are undesirables. We tend to look on age as “damaged or worn”. Isn’t it sad that by doing this we deny the core of who we really are?
The article I came across was about the Japanese art of Kintsugi. Kintsugi dates from the 15th century when a Japanese shogun sent a broken bowl to China to be mended. It returned with crude ugly staples holding it together. The Japanese craftsmen set about to find a more aesthetic alternative to restoring the bowl to its former glory. This is how kintsugi was born. They repaired the damaged ceramics with gold. They believe if something has suffered damage, it has a history and is therefore beautiful. I love the idea of highlighting the repair instead of hiding it. Resilience is "soul gold". This struck me as a particularly beautiful philosophy. Instead of attempting to hide the damage or flaws, they made these features of the new piece. The vicissitudes of existence over time, to which we are all susceptible, could not be clearer than in the breaks, the knocks, and the shattering of the ceramic vessel. This poignancy or aesthetic of existence shows a compassionate sensitivity and a belief that it has a beauty that is dependent on the very faults it seeks to mend, not by hiding them, but by celebrating them as part of the life of the bowl. Mending the fissures with gold, made it not only decorative but even more valuable than before the damage was done. More than just a means of repair, kintsugi promotes a hopeful philosophy; unexpected damage can be an opportunity for transformation and reinvention.
1 comment:
I like this.
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