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Art, Kōgei, and Kintsugi

Is Kintsugi Art?


I first asked myself this question years ago when dealing with local bureaucracy, which required me to define my profession. The authority's response was a clear no: Kintsugi was considered a method of restoration, not an art form. However, a conservator once told me that Kintsugi is not restoration either, as restoration aims to return an object to its original state without noticeable changes. Kintsugi, on the other hand, alters an object's appearance, transforming it into something new.


So, it is neither art nor craft. In Germany, it might be classified as “Kunsthandwerk”, but in Japan, there is another term for it: Kintsugi might be Kōgei, the art of craftsmanship. 


Eva Lenz-Collier: Kintsugi-Reparatur einer Skulptur der Flower Series von Yassi Mazani
Eva Lenz-Collier: Kintsugi repair of a Sculpture from Yassi Mazandi's Flower Series

Kōgei: Between Art and Craftsmanship


Kōgei (工芸) exists at the intersection of highly skilled craftsmanship and artistic expression. In Japan, there was no clear distinction between art and craft until the late 19th century—all artisans were referred to as shokunin, regardless of whether they created everyday objects or objects that might today be defined as fine art. The term Bijutsu (fine art) was introduced at the 1873 World Exhibition in Vienna to align with Western classifications. This led to the development of bijutsu kōgei—artistic craftsmanship.

To understand kōgei (工芸), is to first understand its meaning. As an amalgamation of various descriptions, the centuries-old Japanese word sits most comfortably at the intersection of ‘highly-skilled craftsmanship’ and ‘artistic expression’ to describe the process behind the works. (Ala Champ)

Until the 1920s, kōgei was associated with "applied arts" and closely tied to export programs. Later, the meaning shifted to traditionally crafted, artisanal products. Today, the term is undergoing another transformation: contemporary artists explore its complexity and evolution in exhibitions such as "Japanese Kōgei | Future Forward" (2015).


Kintsugi as a Medium in Art


Kintsugi can also serve as a narrative medium, connecting objects with the aesthetic concept of wabi-sabi, the beauty of imperfection.


Yee Soo-Kyung: Merging Tradition and Modernity


South Korean artist Yee Soo-Kyung uses the Kintsugi technique in her sculpture series Translated Vase, including the five-meter-high Nine Dragons in Wonderland, exhibited at the 2017 Viennale. Inspired by the Chinese legend of the nine dragon children, she views tradition as something fluid: not a rigid, sacred heritage, but a hybrid, organic concept that continuously evolves through cultural exchange.






Claire Healy & Sean Cordeiro: A Tribute to the Byproducts of Mental Destruction


Over the years, accusations have arisen that valuable ceramics were deliberately broken and repaired using the Kintsugi technique to enhance their beauty. Australian artists Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro explore intentional destruction as a creative act in their installation Drunken Clarity—a principle that applies both to this variation of Kintsugi and to human behavior. The deliberate loss of control through alcohol, often described by terms like "smashed" or "obliterated," is driven by the pursuit of new experiences. The inevitable hangover can sometimes bring moments of clarity and inspiration, as exhaustion and serotonin depletion create a state of contemplation.





Jens Umbach: Making Mental Fractures Visible


In the summer of 2023, Hamburg-based photographer Jens Umbach asked me for a personal Kintsugi lesson, intending to incorporate the technique into his photography to symbolize mental scars. His exhibition Mental Health Kintsugi, currently on display in Berlin since March 2024, features portraits of individuals who have overcome mental illnesses. The images are transferred onto ceramic tiles, broken, and repaired using 24-carat gold in the Kintsugi tradition—a visible symbol of healing and self-acceptance. Through photographs and interviews, the exhibition shares stories of hope and renewal, encouraging dialogue about mental health.





 

Exhibition: Jens Umbach - Mental Health Kintsugi, March 15. - 29., 2025,

Galerie pavlov’s dog as guest at Studioatelier Yves Sucksdorff | Meinekestr.6, 10719 Berlin

Special Event on 3/22/2025, 3pm : Talk with Eva Lenz-Collier about the cultural and historical background of Kintsugi.


 


Kintsugi as a Rebirth of Broken Artworks


In early 2021, collector Sandy Hill entrusted me with a special piece: a sculpture from Yassi Mazandi's Flower Series, which had broken. After personal discussions and the artist's approval, I carefully began the restoration process. 




Mazandi's Flower Series emerged after a visit to the Natural History Museum in London, where she was captivated by the seamless structure of dinosaur vertebrae. Combining this inspiration with her long-standing interest in snowflakes, she developed floral spirals and spines—a fusion of technical geometry and organic aesthetics. 


Yassi Mazandi: Group of Porcelain Flower Sculptures
Yassi Mazandi: Group of Porcelain Flower Sculptures

Two years later, another sculpture from the collector broke during a move, and once again, I had the opportunity to work on a Mazandi piece. This time, for stability, I combined Kintsugi with gold wire—an expansion of the traditional technique that gave the work a unique expressive power.





Conclusion

Whether as an artisanal tradition, a medium of contemporary art or an expression of personal transformation, Kintsugi walks the line between restoration, craft and art. It tells stories of rupture and restoration and shows that true beauty is often created where we do not hide scars, but consciously make them visible.


 

Quellen:

Noriyaki Kitazawa “Me no shinden” (1989)

Museum of Art & Design, NYC - Japanese Kōgei | Future Forward

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Künstler:

Claire Healy & Sean Cordeiro, Australien - "Drunken Clarity"

Jens Umbach, Hamburg - "Mental Health Kintsugi"

Yassi Mazandi, Teheran - FLOWERS

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