What is the art of Kintsugi?
Kintsugi, which means “join with gold,” is the Japanese art of repairing broken objects, often ceramic pottery or glass. Traditionally, gold lacquer is used to piece broken shards together again, creating a more beautiful object through the acts of breaking and repair.
Kintsugi teaches us that in life we can turn adversity into something that is beautiful and resilient. Kintsugi shows us that in time, we can heal from our wounds, embrace our imperfections and become stronger. Kintsugi reminds us that no matter our difficulties, we can find a way to reframe and find meaning in life.
Kintsugi is aligned with several well-known Japanese beliefs and philosophies. The first is “wabi-sabi,” the acceptance of impermanence and imperfection. The philosophy of “mottainai” advocates for minimizing waste, making the relationship with breakage one of joy instead of regret and loss. The final concept is “mushin,” a mental flow that frees you from the angst of change and allows you to easily accept fate.
Why do we call it the Kintsugi Village?
As co-founders of this initiative, we deeply resonated with the meaning of Kintsugi beyond its application to art, pottery and glass. We appreciated the metaphor for life overall, having both personally experienced periods of pain and the journey to renewed joy and fulfillment. As we contemplated how our non-profit work would benefit those that we will serve, we realized that we were no different than many people who have endured pain or loss. The process of Kintsugi as it relates to life tells us that if we pay attention to the detail of our introspection, self-reflection and repair, that as humans we can emerge even better than we were before. We can highlight our imperfections, be transparent with our journeys, and share our experiences openly.
We hope this message resonates with you too and we look forward to sharing stories together.
