Artwork Size

58.5 x 123.5 cm / 23 × 49 inches

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Artwork Medium

Silkscreen Printing, Acrylic Paints, Gold Leaf on Linen Canvas

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Artwork Description

Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese art form rooted in the Wabi-Sabi philosophy, which embraces imperfection and the beauty found in the incomplete or broken. Kin means gold, and tsugi refers to mending or joining. Rather than discarding a broken porcelain vessel, Kintsugi repairs it with lacquer mixed with gold, allowing the cracks to shine. The object is not restored to its original state but transformed—its history made visible, honoured, and even celebrated.

In Kintsugi Forest, I draw on this philosophy of resilience and renewal. The background is delicately built from small squares of gold leaf, creating a shimmering field that suggests both preciousness and quiet illumination. These glimmers of gold invite us to slow down, reflect, and notice the subtle, often overlooked details of our lives. They also evoke the dappled sunlight that filters through a forest canopy, a natural metaphor for healing and hope.

To form the trees, I used black Chinese ink blown through a straw, allowing the branches to spread organically across the surface. This technique mirrors the way trees grow—unpredictable, branching, reaching—and contrasts with the geometric precision of the gold leaf beneath.

Together, the golden ground and inked branches create a landscape that speaks to the beauty of repair, the strength found in fragility, and the transformative power of embracing our own fractures.

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作品描述

“金缮” 源自日本美学 “侘寂” 思想。 “金” 为金, “缮” 为修补；金缮修补法是把破碎的瓷器以金漆修合，使裂纹闪耀。器物不再回到原状，而被修补后获得新样貌—那修补的痕迹变得更显眼, 更珍贵。

在《金缮之森》中，我承此哲学——以破碎见韧性，以裂缝迎新生。
作品底层由细小金箔方片铺筑，闪烁如林间碎光，象征珍贵，也象征温柔的照亮。
这些微光邀请我们放慢脚步，凝视生命中常被忽略的细节，亦如林间光影，是疗愈与希望的自然隐喻。

树木以黑色水墨用水草吹绘而成，这种技法绘成的枝条就如树木的生长——
不可预期、枝枝蔓延、向外延伸——与底下金箔的几何精准形成对比。

金色的地，墨绘的枝，共筑一片属于修复之美景。
在脆弱中显露力量，因破碎而获更新——
这便是我们灵魂的金缮之森。

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Artwork Viewing

Currently at Whitestone Gallery Singapore.
For enquiries, email Deborah here or Whitestone Gallery for more information.

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