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<\/a>\u201cThe initial idea came during the challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic, because I saw [how it] affected so many people\u2019s lives, along with me,\u201d says Wu. \u201cI wanted to create something that can encourage people to think about how we handle traumas, damages, or accidents. Then, I met Naoko Fukumaru. She is based in Vancouver. She is a trained conservator and kintsugi artist. She showed me the beautiful work she has done\u2026 And I thought, wow, these just match so perfectly, into the idea [of] what I want to create.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wu was able to form the exhibit after seeing the works of Fukumaru, which she thought were perfect for her storytelling.<\/p>\n
\u201cKintsugi is quite old, a traditional method\u2026 The whole philosophy behind it is very much related to today\u2019s society,\u201d says Wu. \u201cWhen you see everyone will have their own challenges, but [it is] how we perceive the challenges, and how we view the damages, I think kintsugi teaches us that we don\u2019t have to be afraid. We don\u2019t have to be ashamed, and I think we need to try to find the beauty that can come from the brokenness and cracks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wu describes her collaboration with Fukumaru as enjoyable and inspiring and she says she admires her storytelling, along with her talents.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was wonderful. It was a great experience working with Naoko,\u201d says Wu. \u201cShe is an expert in kintsugi and conservation, and she is also a great storyteller because she shared a lot of her own life and the stories\u2026 [of] how she found kintsugi and how kintsugi found her. So I had a very, I should say, inspiring and pleasant experience working with Naoko.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Beauty of Mending<\/i> features the works of Fukumaru as well as some pieces from AGGV\u2019s collection.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my curatorial effort\u2026 I think that these works selected from our own collection, which include some Asian ink paintings that are using these accidental brushstrokes or porcelain vases, featured crack hold patterns and some oracle bones that also have some connections with cracks,\u201d says Wu. \u201cWhat I want to say is I think that some of these works echo very well with kintsugi works by Naoko Fukumaru. I hope also then, our visitors would like this curatorial approach.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wu says that she would also like visitors to take something a bit more personal away from the exhibit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope our visitors can find part of their stories in this exhibition because I think they can maybe relate the idea to their own life or how they can apply this philosophy to their life,\u201d says Wu. \u201cAnd I should also point out that because kintsugi is a repairing method, the process of repairing is also a process of healing. So I hope for those people who may think themselves to be broken or found some damage in their life can find some healing power from seeing these works and seeing this exhibition.\u201d<\/p>\n