<Mending Ceramics and Slowing Time With the Japanese Art of Kintsugi — Art News
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article culture calendar_today Thursday, March 19, 2026

Mending Ceramics and Slowing Time With the Japanese Art of Kintsugi

The article explores the Japanese art of kintsugi, the practice of repairing broken ceramics with lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. This technique does not hide the damage but highlights it, transforming fractures into visible, celebrated features of the object's history.

The practice is presented as more than a craft; it's a philosophical approach that embraces imperfection, history, and the passage of time. In a fast-paced world, kintsugi offers a meditative counterpoint, encouraging a slower, more deliberate engagement with objects and, by extension, with life itself. It represents a growing cultural appreciation for repair, sustainability, and finding beauty in flaws.