As the heatwave raged across NCR, Delhiites found refuge in the healing process of Japanese Kintsugi at Delhi Times Life.Styled Club’s Kintsugi workshop in partnership with Small World last weekend. Rooted in finding beauty in imperfections, the ancient practice fixes broken ceramics using lacquer and precious metals to create new decorative items.What is Life.Styled ClubLife.Styled Club is a curated community for those who don’t follow a lifestyle but style life itself. The club promises a series of exclusive experiences for NCR’s dynamic audiences
Breaking bowls in perfect shape offers a cathartic release
‘Kintsugi is a way of teaching how life is’The room was filled with anticipation as attendees geared up to smash perfect looking ceramic bowls into pieces. The workshop had a two-pronged approach – the breaking of ceramic bowls offering a cathartic release, and the delicate piecing together allowing reflection. Turning broken pieces into works of art, the hands-on workshop encouraged introspection and healing. Careful mending and painting of the bowls using lacquer with gold urged the group to focus as they let creativity flow.
Piecing the work together delicately allows deep reflection
For a Gurgaon-based Agarwal family, who attended the workshop together, it was all about reflection. Rashmi Agarwal, mother of two daughters, noted, “Once precious things are broken, it’s very difficult to mend them. It’s a way of teaching how life is. If you fall somewhere in life, you should not be disheartened. A broken or fallen piece can become something better and beautiful. Just like this ceramic, it’s been broken, mended and now it’s stronger. Life teaches you that despite loss and failure, you can be successful.”
Attendees show off their creatively pieced bowls decorated with gold
‘Learning to embrace imperfections’Apart from enjoying the bonding experience, Rashmi’s daughter, Tarushi Agarwal made her bowl with intention and noted the impact of the process. “From my perspective, in a world where there is so much airbrushing on pictures, and makeup to hide the imperfections on your face, we see in kintsugi that even when we use gold, it’s not to hide but embrace and beautify the imperfections. That’s how gold is being used, it’s making the object pretty despite there being cracks.”
