Kintsugi at POJ Studio isn’t just about repairing broken pottery—it’s a centuries-old practice that honors impermanence and transformation, using natural urushi lacquer and gold to weave history, ritual, and resilience into every crack. In many ancient traditions, brokenness was never seen as the end. It was a turning point — a moment that called for attention, ritual, and care. In Japan, kintsugi emerged centuries ago not just as a technique to repair broken pottery, but as a quiet philosophy of how to live with what has changed.
At POJ Studio — a Kyoto-based craft space deeply rooted in traditional Japanese techniques — kintsugi is more than aesthetic or metaphor. It’s a practice grounded in old rhythms: seasonal curing, patient layering, tools and materials unchanged for generations. Theirs is a commitment to the full process, including the use of natural urushi lacquer, the same resin used by craftspeople hundreds of years ago — not a shortcut in sight.
In a world increasingly oriented toward efficiency and perfection, this way of working can feel almost countercultural. The focus here is not on erasing the break or hiding the damage, but on honoring it. The cracks are traced with care, healed with time, and filled with gold — a quiet act of reverence for the journey of the object, and for the hands that hold it now.
