Kintsugi Essentials: A Three-Week Journey in Ceramic Restoration

Have you ever felt a special connection to an object, only to see it broken and discarded? What if you could transform it into something even more beautiful?

Join us at 7s Art for Kintsugi Essentials: A Three-Week Journey in Ceramic Restoration, where you’ll learn how to repair chipped pottery using traditional Kintsugi techniques. This course focuses on the core kintsugi process—filling chips, refining the shape, and applying gold—using natural urushi lacquer and real gold powder.

By highlighting the cracks and breaks with gold, Kintsugi embraces the beauty of imperfections. Through this hands-on experience, you will gain a fundamental understanding of Kintsugi philosophy, materials, and techniques. By the end of the course, you will have completed at least one restored ceramic piece to take home.

Course Schedule and Agenda

The course begins on March 9th and will be held on Sundays from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM over 3 weeks, including 3 sessions, each session lasting 2.5 hours. 

The detailed schedule and agenda is as follows:

• Week 1 (March 9, 10:00am - 12:30pm): Introduction & Filling the Chips

Learn about Kintsugi’s history and philosophy

Introduction to urushi lacquer and natural repair materials

Hands-on practice: filling chipped areas with natural lacquer and powder mix

Understanding drying time and preparation for the next step

• Week 2 (March 16,10:00am - 12:30pm) – Refining the Shape.

Shaping and sanding the repaired areas for a seamless look

Applying an additional lacquer layer for a smooth and natural finish

Prepare the base for gold applications

• Week 3 (March 23, 10:00am - 12:30pm) – Applying Gold & Finishing Touches

Polishing the surface to prepare for gold application

Learning traditional gold powder application techniques

Group discussion & reflections

*Optional: Arrange pick-up time if additional curing time is needed

Enrollment Requirements

This beginner-friendly course provides a structured, hands-on introduction to Kintsugi. It is suitable for beginners without any previous Kintsugi experience. Students are required to bring chipped ceramic items and complete the repair during the course.

What to Bring:

Each student should bring 1 or 2 chipped ceramic pieces that meet the following criteria:

• Only chipped pieces are accepted – we will not repair broken pieces with multiple fragments.
• Any missing chip must not exceed 1.5 cm in size
• No previous glue on it

After enrollment, please email a clear photo of your ceramic piece to [email protected] by March 6th for instructor approval.

Course Materials

All necessary tools and materials will be provided. Important: This course uses natural urushi lacquer, which may cause skin irritation for some individuals.

• Gloves and protective materials will be provided
• Please follow all safety instructions carefully during the workshop

Instructor: makomako (Instagram: @makomako.kintsugi)

Admission: $380 per participant

Capacity: 7 participants max

Location: 36 East Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10002

Info: Learn about Kintsugi’s history and philosophy; Introduction to urushi lacquer and natural repair materials; Hands-on practice: filling chipped areas with natural lacquer and powder mix; Understanding drying time and preparation for the next step

Info: Shaping and sanding the repaired areas for a seamless look; Applying an additional lacquer layer for a smooth and natural finish; Prepare the base for gold applications

Info: Polishing the surface to prepare for gold application; Learning traditional gold powder application techniques; Group discussion & reflections

Host or Publisher 7s Art