Visual artist Niiranen Mayumi

7200 €

Let’s Save More Broken Ceramics Together – to Develop My Skill of Kintsugi-technique

| Yksivuotinen

During the 3-month home residency I develop my kintsugi skill and acquire new knowledge of the technique by reading literature about urushi-lacquer. Additionally I prepare for my future project: In my future project, by the use of this technique, I'll create a teacup made out of pottery and ceramic sherds found in Japan. The teacup will consist of at least one sherd from each Japanese period starting from Jomon period (ca. 10,500–ca. 300 B.C.). The joined teacup will be the visual dictionary of the long history of Japanese pottery and porcelain. All the sherds will be collected by myself from sandy shores of lakes and rivers in Japan and the period of the found sherds will be identified with a help of archaeologists. About kintsugi: Kintsugi is a traditional and an artistic repairing technique of broken ceramics, which was invented in Japan already in Jomon period (ca. 10,500–ca. 300 B.C.), and later it was elaborated in Muromachi period (1336-1573) when tea ceremony had become popular. It's an environmentally friendly technique, that can fix broken ceramics without using any synthetic substances and it lasts for over hundreds of years. The main material which is used in this technique is called urushi. Urushi is a natural sap collected from rhus vernicifera tree and known as the most durable natural lacquer and also works as natural glue. For example a 9000-year-old comb coated with urushi was found is Japan. Kintsugi (or use of urushi) is a great invention but generally this method is unknown especially outside of Japan. Topics and issues I'm dealing with in my art practice are ecological sustainability, the importance of ancient knowledge and the work of others (that includes non-humans') in/behind objects. I consider about what we the artists use in art. These days many Finnish artists try to increase awareness of ecological issues in their work, however, they use synthetic materials such as acrylic paint. I see it as it's against their will.