About Kintsugi

Kintsugi is the Japanese practice of repairing broken ceramics with urushi lacquer, a natural tree sap. Rather than hiding a crack, the repair becomes part of the piece’s story. It invites us to see beauty in imperfection and to keep using the things we value.

With the support of a QEST Scholarship, I studied urushi and kintsugi in Kyoto, Wakayama and Tokyo in 2026. I now bring these techniques into my ceramic practice and teach traditional kintsugi workshops in London. We use urushi and traditional materials rather than epoxy. Each layer needs time to cure, so a repair develops over several sessions.

A bowl given by someone dear, or a cup brought home from a journey, holds memories as well as a practical purpose. Taking time to mend it can be a quiet, restorative experience. For me, kintsugi is a way to care for objects, honour the people connected to them, and choose repair over replacement.

My small-group workshops can take the form of a four- or six-session course, or an ongoing weekly or fortnightly class. New participants can join an ongoing class while others continue with their repairs. Each person works at the pace their piece requires.

If you are interested in joining a learning workshop or discussing a collaboration, please get in touch. You can also explore my repaired ceramic works below.