Time：Feb. 19 & Feb. 26, 2022, 2–4 pm  

Location：Fou Gallery, 410 Jefferson Ave #1, Brooklyn, New York, NY 11221

Kintsugi Practitioner：Yiheng

Event Coordinator：Iris Zhang, Ariala Luo

Maximum Number of Participants：12

Ticket Price：USD 20

活动时间：2022年2月19/26日，下午2–4点 

活动地点：否画廊, Jefferson大道410号#1，纽约布鲁克林

分享者：Yiheng

活动组织：张琦，罗芷芊

限制活动人数：12人

活动费用：USD 20

NEW YORK —Fou Gallery is pleased to announce the event The Art of Imperfection: Kintsugi Talk at Fou, which will take place on Feb. 19 and 26, 2022. Immersing in the exhibition Crafting the Past from the Future, Kintsugi practitioner Yiheng will lead the audience to learn different aspects of Kintsugi, such as its historical origins, methodologies of repairing, materials, specific techniques, and derivative art, through detailed demonstrations of the Kintsugi’s process. This event focuses on sharing the art and techniques of Kintsugi and raising inquiry on the aesthetic thinking behind Kintsugi. This event is open to all interested audiences.

“Kintsugi'' (Japanese: 金継ぎ, 'golden joinery or golden repair') is a decorative restoration methodology that utilizes natural lacquer (lacquer) as an adhesive and gold powder as a decoration to repair broken ceramics. Kintsugi practices have been increasingly used in the restoration of everyday objects in recent years, resulting in a variety of techniques employing new materials. Yiheng, as a Kintsugi practitioner, studied with Japanese lacquer master and Kintsugi specialist Gen Saratani and continued her studies with Chinese lacquer specialist Rongqiang Wu (Qifenzui Studio). Yiheng specializes in using natural materials for Kintsugi, and through study, practice, exploration, and reflection, she has developed a new understanding of "beauty" — the pursuit of "exquisite beauty" in traditional Chinese aesthetics is replaced by letting "beauty" be restored and cherished through ages. This timeless perception is also what Yiheng hopes to convey to the audience through this sharing session.

The current exhibition Crafting the Past from the Future focuses on how artists or crafters held rich visions of the past and future and how their artworks came out of these imaginings. This exhibition examines the changing roles of craft: the selected artists exemplify how artists or crafters from different time periods have renewed the concepts of craft, from folk art for the great mass of people to new technology or material-based crafts that are almost indistinguishable from fine arts. Kintsugi's practices, in response, have been changing and evolving in the course of time. However, the essence of Kintsugi is to prolong the life of beloved objects by restoring them with our hands and embodying the heart of cherishing, which might help us broaden the definition of beauty in the Digital Revolution.

Materials Provided:

Purple sand ware, Japanese tea bowls, earthenware (low density pottery), broken utensils, a humid box, olive oil, etc.

*The audiences do not need to prepare any materials. As natural raw lacquer may cause allergic reactions, audiences are not recommended to touch the material during the sharing session.

Contents of the Talk:

Part 1: The thinking process on the method of repairing broken pottery and the understanding of the materials used for Kintsugi;

Part 2: The demonstration and explanation of traditional Kintsugi method;

Part 3: Introduction of the other modern adhesives;

Part 4: Derivation of Kintsugi;

Part 5: The presenter will share her sentiments regarding Kintsugi as well as personal perspective of how to appreciate this traditional art of restoration.