Kintsugi is a funny topic. The internet is awash in terrible examples of it. It’s also the most infuriating recommendation that any online potter can receive. (What’s that? Accidentally break something you love? Here’s a stranger, well-meaningly suggesting you fix it with glue + gold paint!)
Mass produced kintsugi items are quite the oxymoron I feel, it all came rushing to me when I saw kintsugi (style?) rings for mass sale. Very odd.
Man, the things I have seen while trying to research this. Do Not. Kintsugi. Your floors!! Also, there’s already an AI start up called kintsugi, too.
It was interesting once when it was just a few people experimenting with it, but somehow it morphed into a trendy gimmick and now it’s just slapped onto everything. This has happened with 2D art, too (illustrations and paintings with “kintsugi” themes or effects: neat at first, but became overused.)
I looove watching experts do real kintsugi properly, it’s beautiful and fascinating, and also my entire head explodes with rage when a random person suggests I fix a faulty piece with epoxy and mica powder.
Especially the ones thinking that’s a food safe option. And the ones thinking I could sell broken pieces at a profit after all that extra work. I think that’s the most rage inducing part of it all.
Exactly! Folks don’t realize it’s infuriating for us, they’re just trying to be helpful - but dang it makes the blood boil.
But it can be done beautifully. Here’s an example by Mike Martino, who teaches the technique. I’m not trying to learn this for my sculptures, mind you. It’s for the broken planters I have kicking around my house!!
Anyway. Here’s today’s experiments. Silver leaf over thinned epoxy, and mica dust over thinned epoxy. I have no idea what I’m doing with the silver leaf! Btw, the traditional adhesive, urushi lacquer is right out - it’s from a super nasty relative of poison ivy. I’ll share my progress as I go!
I’ve final returned to my kintsugi experiments, and produced something I’m happy with!
the silver is so interesting!! I'd love to see copper one day and how it patinas over time with the water exposure!
For sure! I know their imitation gold leaf is part copper. (The silver is just aluminum) I gotta use the fake gold on something and watch it tarnish over time.
An orb most ponderable.
Dang it that's cool
Oh my god, that’s great.
I also did a trunk, it was a great weekend
That was an apoxy sculpt fill for the crack, followed by gilding adhesive, imitation silver leaf, and the sealer on top. I wouldn’t recommend it for anything that sees heavy use or food contact, since both the leaf adhesive and the sealant were water based. We’ll see how it ages in a planter.
A full kit helped me figure out the silver leaf process. That said, I don’t think I’d recommend the barnabas one I used, even though I like it. They were a bit deceptive how they were selling their fake gold + silver leaf. This was my test. You can see where there were bubbles in the adhesive.
I do it, poorly, when i break a cherished piece of art pottery, rather than throwing it away. I can still appreciate the beauty in something that has been broken and repaired even if it’s poorly done, and no longer has “collector” value. I don’t believe in collectibles as investment- only enjoyment.
Indeed! A Kyoto-based painter/potter friend just turned me on to Sawa Kiyotsugu. Not only do I love his rustic style but his kintsugi is pretty amazing.
I know! It’s so mind blowing done well.
