Kintsugi for Beginners: Repair, Reflection, and Renewal
Thursday, August 20, 2026 | 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Visitors Center Lower Level Gallery
Cost: $68 Members | $73 Non-Members
Workshop Description: Join Japanese artist Mami Takahashi for an introduction to Kintsugi, the Japanese are of repairing broken ceramics with gold. In this hands-on beginner workshop, participants will learn the foundations of modern Kintsugi techniques while repairing a small ceramic piece provided by the instructor.
Rather than hiding cracks or imperfections, Kintsugi highlights repair as part of an object’s history, transforming breakage into something meaningful and beautiful. Through guided instruction, participants will experience th ecareful and meditative process of mending while exploring the philosophy and cultural backgroun behind the practice.
The workshop is designed for beginners and no prior experience is necessary.
Participants will complete and take home their repaired ceramic piece.
About Kintsugi:
Kintsugi (金継ぎ), which translates roughly as “golden joiner,” developed in Japan as a method of repairing broken ceramics using lacquer and gold. Rather than disguising damage, the technique embraces breakage and repair as part of an object’s life and history.
Over time, Kintsugi has become associated not only with craftsmanship and aesthetics, but also with broader ideas of resilience, transformation, care, and impermanence. The process encourages patience, attentiveness, and an appreciation for imperfection.
This beginner workshop uses modern materials inspired by traditional Kintsugi methods in order to create an accessible and safe introduction to the practice.
Materials Provided:
All supplies are included in the workshop fee, including:
- Ceramic practice piece
- Adhesives and epoxy materials
- Gold-colored finishing materials
- Protective gloves/finger covers
- Kintsugi tools and supplies
- Instructional handouts
Participants will take home their completed Kintsugi piece at the end of the workshop.
Additional Workshop Information:
This workshop uses epoxy putty in addition to ceramic adhesive materials as part of the beginner Kintsugi process. These materials may make participants’ fingers somewhat sticky during the workshop, and in some cases, small remnants of epoxy may remain on the skin for a few days afterward.
Protective gloves will be available for anyone who would like to use them.
Space is limited. Pre-registration is required. (18 max per class) Materials included in registration. Cancellation must be made at least 1 week in advance.
Anything after 1 week will not be refunded. To cancel, please send an email to info@andersongardens.org
Minimum required participants is 3. If there are less than the minimum amount registered, the workshop will be cancelled and a full refund will be provided.
About the Instructor
Mami Takahashi: is a contemporary artist from Tokyo, based in Chicago. Working across material-based practices, including Kintsugi, as well as performance, sound, and installation, her work explores memory, laguage, and cultural continuity.
Her practice considers how materials and bodies carry traces of experience over time, oftern through processes of repetition, layering, and repair. Rather than concealing damage, her work highlights transformation-allowing fragments, voices, and materials to remain visibvle as part of an ongoing presence.
Takahashi has presented her work at institutions including the International Museum of Surgical Science (Chicago) ,Portland Institute for Contermportary Art, San Francisco Art Institute, and Southern Alberta Art Gallery. She is currently serving as Artistic Director at the Japanese Culture Center and will serve as Artistic Curatorial Advisor of Japanese Art at the Heritage Museum of Asian Art (Chicago) beginning in 2026.
This workshop has been made possibly by our continued partnership with the Japanese Culture Center in Chicago.
You can find more information about them HERE
