Urban Kintsugi

In this seminar, we explored the process of book making to tell a story. For this project specifically, we were asked to study a unique aspect of Tokyo, or Japanese culture, and then create a book that re-imagines Tokyo’s urban form.

For my project, I was fascinated by both the practice of kintsugi and wabi sabi, as well as the history of Tokyo’s continual rebuilding over hundreds of years. These two ‘constructed’ or ‘repairing’ themes allowed me to develop a visual narrative.

Just as kintsugi mends broken pottery into beautiful artifacts showing the history of the object, the urban streets of Tokyo unite the metropolis and trace the history of the city’s expansion. In my work, kintsugi represents the cultural wayfinding overlaid on the physical urban fabric of Tokyo. Even as the city changes, the culture remains steady and persistent.