Kintsugi – Traces of Time 28.9.–24.11.2024

Kintsugi is a centuries-old Japanese art form that teaches us to embrace the marks of life. In kintsugi, a broken object is repaired by accepting and even emphasising the evidence of its fragmentation. Ceramic objects are repaired using urushi lacquer, and the repair seams and patches are traditionally finished with real gold.

Kintsugi – Traces of Time is the first exhibition showcasing kintsugi art in Finland. It has been curated by four ceramic artists who have, in recent years, delved into the technique from their own perspectives. 

Paula Ruuttunen has focused on repairing her own primarily wood-fired ceramics using kintsugi. Eeva Jokinen became interested in kintsugi both from a technical standpoint and through her interest towards the aesthetics of repair. Katja Seppinen practises kintsugi with materials discarded by others, seeing it primarily as a process of immersion, involving the time spent in discovering and repairing ceramics. Hanna Nuorala is interested in how kintsugi expresses change and imperfection.

In addition to the ceramic artists, the exhibition features Japanese kintsugi master Mitsumi Irahara, visual artist Mayumi Niiranen-Hisatomi, and filmmaker Jade Kallio.

“Kintsugi resonates across cultural boundaries and eras. In our exhibition, we aim to show the connection between kintsugi and the millennia-old tradition of Asian lacquer art, while also highlighting the vitality of the technique through contemporary creators. Kintsugi teaches us to embrace the marks of life; in the end, we are who we are also thanks to experiences of fragmentation”, says ceramist Hanna Nuorala

The exhibition is supported by Finnish Heritage Agency.