Please note: We are not offering any fake kintsugi. We have a curriculum.
[Introduction to Kintsugi Level 1 & 2] are just preparations to start the kintsugi journey. In these classes, you will learn the history, philosophy, and mindset of kintsugi, the basic knowledge of materials, and practice handling and cleaning tools through practicing the simplified kintsugi process. You will spend 5 days for Level 1 and 6 days for Level 2, but all steps in each day have an important meaning. After taking these Introduction classes, you can move on to the [Regular class].
[Regular class] is not a scheduled class, so you can come whenever you want. In the class, you keep practicing basic processes and we fix it each time. Our advice, guide, new technique, new materials, and new tools will be given depending on your skill and mindset. Please know – ceramic has many kinds of clay, glaze, decoration, shape, and damage, and we have to treat them in different ways. Kintsugi looks simple, but it’s not. We are an artist, but also a doctor of ceramics at the same time.
■ [Online] Introduction to Kintsugi – Level 1 ― $300
1. This class is an online group class.
2. This course will include 5 introduction classes (120 minutes each).
3. Schedule: June 14, 21, 28, July 5, 12 (6:30-8:30pm)
4. You will learn Kintsugi’s history, philosophy, the mindset of Japanese traditional artisanship (Kogei), how to prepare/treat/clean materials and tools, and how to do Kintsugi on chipped pieces with a basic method.
5. Please purchase Kintsugi kit ($250).
6. The chipped part’s depth should be up to 2mm. If you don’t have a chipped piece, we can prepare one for you.
*Please sign up before the 23rd of May because the kit has to be shipped and you need to prepare more tools (not special things, but like disposable gloves, kleenex(only kleenex brand!), humidity controlling box (urushi can cure with high humidity, but it’s easy to make :), and so on) Please send email to get message via the form below to get detailed information!
■[Online] Introduction to Kintsugi – Level 2 ― $440
1. This class is an online group class.
2. This course will include 6 introduction classes (180 minutes each).
3. Schedule: July 19, 26, August 9, 16, 23, 30 (6:30-9:30pm)
4. You will learn deeper knowledge about urushi, the structure of Kintsugi, and how to do Kintsugi on broken (cracked and separated) pieces with a basic method.
5. Please purchase Kintsugi kit if you don’t have one.
6. Students who finished Level 1 can take this class.
■[Online regular class] – Ongoing
1. You can learn how to do Kintsugi on pieces which is
– unglazed
– having small/big missing parts
– having big chips
– having gold paint
– having many pieces
– vase or tokkuri (having small neck)
– doll (3 dimensional piece)
– broken handle of a cup
– design kintsugi
– yobitsugi, tomotsugi, tametsugi etc.
2. Students who finished Level 2 can take this class.
★ $=CAD. Payment is accepted by Paypal, Transferwise etc.
★ Kintsug kit is not included in Monthly and Single class. Monthly students can buy a Kintsugi kit with $250. See Kintsugica’s Kintsugi Kit.
★ The Main Process of Kintsugi
Day 1: Preparation -> 1 day dry
Day 2: Put all parts together -> 3 weeks dry
Day 3: Apply paste -> 5 days dry
Day 4: Apply the first urushi painting -> 2 days dry
Day 5: Make the urushi’s surfaces flat -> 2 days dry
Day 6: Apply the second urushi painting and spread the gold
* You can take the next class anytime after each drying period. (Private class)
* The process is depending on the item’s condition.
■ How to Apply
Send a message using the contact form below, indicating your interest in the style of classes. You will receive a confirmation email within 2 days with payment information. Please reply with a photo of the item you want to fix. If you do not have an item, one will be provided (+$10).
Shuichi’s Kintsugi workshop is a very valuable experience for those who are interested in the art of Kintsugi. He makes certain to carefully communicate the history, reasoning and methodology of the art so that you really understand what Kintsugi is and how and why it’s done.
-Karen
There is a reason that the remnants of the oldest civilizations we are commonly able to find are generally pottery shards. Once fired, clay is forever formed. It makes sense to value and repair pottery in light of its enduring nature. Kintsugi is an art of repair which not only makes the resultant piece stronger than the original piece, it is also food safe, and beautifully highlights the repair instead of hiding it. It’s a repair that only adds value and beauty to a piece and showcases it’s history. It’s an art form which renders still usable a piece which may hold sentimental value or may in turn render sentiment to a useful piece.
Shuichi is an excellent teacher who very well imparts his feelings for the craft along with the techniques. He is good at communicating and teaching the skills required of the art form. Equally so in imparting the understanding required to practise it. I highly recommend this workshop to those with a desire to restore a well loved piece or to those with a desire to understand the art form.
#introjapan 