kintsugi Restoration in Portland, Oregon
金継ぎ
Kintsugi, meaning gold mending in Japanese, is a Japanese art and craft technique of restoring broken ceramics with traditionally Urushi tree lacquer as a glue and gold powder as a decoration on those broken lines. Even though Urushi lacquer has been used as a natural glue for over 9,000 years and restoring vessels for over 6,000-7,000 years in Japan, Kintsugi became an art form in the 15-16th century among the tea ceremony culture. Known as the Japanese aesthetic of Wabi-Sabi, an appreciation of beauty in imperfection and impermanence, Kintsugi gives us the opportunity to accept and move on in our lives by showing off the scars. I love the philosophy of Kintsugi and would love to share my skills with you.
I TAKE COMMISSION WORK IN MY PORTLAND, Oregon home studio.
Whether it is a family heirloom dish that passed down from generation to generation, a sentimental little cup that your 10-year-old child made for you on Mother’s Day, a mug cup your father used to drink coffee every morning… whatever the story behind it is, I honor and respect each client’s wish to restore their special pieces. I only buy and use high quality traditional Kintsugi materials from reputable Kintsugi stores in Japan. Please use the inquiry form below and show me what you are wishing to restore. I will get back to you as soon as possible with a rough fee and time estimate. Please visit my Instagram to see more work.
★★★★★
“I am thrilled with the way Ayumi ‘healed’ my favorite vase!” -Cindy, H. Google Review
★★★★★
“It's such a treasure to me, and I keep it on my desk now so I can look at it every day.” -Agnes, B. Google Review
★★★★★
“This work gives renewed life and greater depth to any treasured piece of pottery.” -Rachel, E. Google Review
Inquiery form
Kintsugi basics
I would like to introduce you to two different methods of Kintsugi restoration in this modern time. It is important for you to understand the differences and your intention of restoring your special vessel before contacting me. Please ask me any questions you might have.
Traditional (food safe) - In this method, I use all-natural materials such as Urushi tree lacquer, wheat flour, stone powder, tree sawdust , water, real gold or silver powder. It takes a few months to finish a project because Urushi lacquer takes several days to cure and harden. The process is complex and very detail-oriented. The vessel will be food safe, and you can use it to eat and drink out of it after 2 months of a rest period. NO MICROWAVE. NO DISHWASHER. Please use a very soft dishwashing sponge to hand-wash the vessel. When you serve a temperature-hot food/drink, warm up the vessel first to avoid the shock. The temperature shock will lead to leaks and breakage. You cannot use it over the fire to cook since Urushi lacquer will not tolerate the high temperature. Please hold the bottom of the mug if the handle was restored so that the stress on the handle can be distributed to avoid breakage on the repair.
Modern (NOT food safe, display purpose only) - In this method, I use epoxy glue, epoxy putty, imitation gold, copper, cashew nut base resin materials, and other resin materials. The process is faster because resin materials dry quickly, but the restoration work could be as complicated as the traditional. The finished piece is only for display. Please do not eat or drink out of it.
Below are examples of different finishes. I will suggest options for your specific project and decide together.
Food Safe Real Gold Finish 金粉消粉
Food Safe Real Silver Finish 銀粉消粉
Food Safe Bengara Red Urushi Lacquer Finish 弁柄漆
Food Safe Black Urushi Lacquer Finish 上黒呂色漆
Non Food Safe Copper Finish 銅
Non Food Safe Imitation Gold Finish 新うるし
Frequently Asked Questions
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Ceramic, porcelain, glass, plastic, wood… just send me an inquiry and I will get back to you. I would like to do my best and help with your project. Not all repair needs to end up with gold lines. Sometimes you just want broken pieces to be put together. That’s okay :)
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Please use the inquiry form in this website to contact me with your name, email address, a brief description of your project, including approximate measurements. Most importantly, upload pictures. I will get back to you as soon as I can!
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No worries! I can fill with putty and filler whether they are large or small gaps. It takes more work and time to complete those projects. I will let you know a new fee estimate once I put the broken pieces together.
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DO wait for 2 months to use the traditional food-safe Kintsugi work restored with Urushi lacquer to avoid possible allergic reactions in case it is cured immaturely.
DO use a very soft dish sponge to clean after use.
DO warm up the vessel before putting hot drink or food in it. Temperature shock could lead to the failure of the restoration.
DO appreciate the nature of Kintsugi with Urushi lacquer. Urushi can be absorbed and stain some of the glaze even with the careful application and masking method. It is the sign of the true Kintsugi work with natural materials.
DON’T put it in a microwave!
DON’T put it in a dishwasher!
DON’T use anything hard to scratch the gold: metal utensils, coarse dish sponges.
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I prefer in-person drop-off/pick-up at my home studio in NE Portland, OR. But if you have to mail the vessel, I advise wrapping it very carefully so that it will not break even more. I will ship it back with my most careful way of packing. You can use FedEx, UPS, USPS, etc., of your choice of shipping company. Please be aware that I will include the cost for shipping and special packing materials in some cases in the invoice.
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I mainly take cash or Venmo. If you need another method, please let me know. Any project over $200 requires a deposit of half the fee estimate.
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I currently offer these options for the final decoration.
Food safe: Real gold, real silver, red Urushi lacquer, black Urushi lacquer, and white Urushi lacquer.
Non food safe: A few different types of imitation gold and copper.
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It depends on the material choices(food safe or not), size of the vessel, how many broken pieces, what’s made out of (ceramic, porcelain, glass, etc.), surface texture, ceramic glaze types, how many missing areas to be filled, and so on… I would say $100 - $500 is a typical price for most projects, just to give you an idea.
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Possibly yes, even if you are careful and follow my direction on what to do and not to do, the vessel can leak in the future, and the gold finish could start to rub/chip off. If there is any issue, please contact me, and I’ll be happy to take a look and see if I can do anything for you. There might be a case where you might need to let it be a display piece to enjoy it.
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Urushi tree belongs to the same tree family as poison oak. When the lacquer is not fully cured, it could make some people miserable with skin rashes. I always wear gloves when I practice so as to avoid rashes. I advise my clients not to touch and use the finished vessels for 2 months, especially for food consumption, just to be safe. If I use Urushi on your project, I’ll let you know.
Me & Half Ripe studio
Hi, I’m Ayumi Hill of the Half Ripe Studio based in Portland, Oregon. Ever since I learned to practice Kintsugi in 2023, I’ve never felt bad when I break something in my kitchen. Yes! another project that I can do Kintsugi on and give an even better and unique look to this piece. I am in love with the Kintsugi philosophy and the slow process. I believe Kintsugi can help heal us by embracing the past events in our lives by bravely showing off our scars and being proud of making another step forward in our lives.
I am a Japanese native from Saitama Prefecture and have been living in the US for 30 years. I have BF in illustration (1999 Kendall College of Art & Design) and worked as a freelance artist since 2005 when I moved to Portand, Oregon. I have an amazing teenage son, Aki, cutest Boston Terrier, Monty, and the best husband, John I could ever wish for. I am a part-time dental assistant when I’m not practicing Kintsugi. I started Kintsugi in December 2023 by taking Emi Joyce’s classes and have been pursuing my passion to get better at it ever since. I named my Kintsugi studio, Half Ripe, by getting an idea from my name, Ayumi. The Kanji character 歩実 means stepping forward and growing along the way. As the name suggests, I always want to be learning and growing. Kintsugi gives me the perfect opportunities to be in the state of mind.
future studio plan…
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You can work on any Kintsugi project you’d like at your own pace in my studio and be able to get some instructions. Materials included.
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Up to 4 people as a group, you can have a Kintsugi party at my studio. I will teach you the basics of modern Kintsugi. Materials included.