Page 43 - 154 varsity ebook

/ 41

merged in Azuchi-Momoyama（安土桃山時代）period, Kintsugi（金
繼）is a traditional Japanese repairing art that mends wreckage of ceram-
Eics with glue made from Urushi lacquer combined with water and wheat
flour. The connecting joint is then coloured in gold or silver. After several cen-
turies of development, this Japanese artistry spread to other parts of the world
including Hong Kong under the promotion by Kintsugi practitioners like End-
ers Wong.
Wong learnt Kintsugi in Japan 10 years ago and he currently organises Kint-
sugi tutorial workshops in Hong Kong. Wong’s first exposure to Kintsugi was
the time he attempted to fix his self-made broken bowl. He then decided to visit
Japan on his own as a Kintsugi apprentice, as not all materials required for the
repair were available in his kits.
“Many reports available online describe Kintsugi as a mere repairing meth-
od, but it is actually an art,” he says. Wong recalls that one of his students once
repaired a seemingly insignificant plate of Gudetama, a popular Japanese anime
character, but it in fact carries precious memories of his parents. He thinks Kint-
sugi is more than just a repairing technique, since it bears unique meaning that
is special to every individual who practices the skill.
Kintsugi is often interpreted as a way to restore broken objects to their origi-
nal forms by reconnecting broken fragments. Yet, Wong thinks there is some-
thing more to this craftsmanship that encourages creativity. He recalls his expe-
rience of designing a whole set of teaware specifically to fit the shape of a piece
of broken glass, instead of gluing the fragment back to its main part. He cites a

Enders Wong demonstrates how to embellish a final product to his students.