Kintsugi: A Celebration of Restoration and Unity
Original article | Published: 25 Jan 2025 | By Rishini Weeraratne, Daily Mirror Online
Art and literature converged in a powerful expression of resilience and renewal with the launch of Kintsugi, a collaborative book by renowned artist Anoma Wijewardene and Booker Prize-nominated writer Romesh Gunasekera. This unique fusion of visual art and poetry was first showcased at the 58th Venice Biennale. The exhibition ran for six months, inviting visitors into a multi-sensory exploration of fracture, healing, and harmony. The installation featured an immersive blend of floating laser-cut mesh panels, and a mesmerizing 12-minute looped video incorporating art, words, and music. To deepen the experience, the exhibit was infused with the evocative scent of cinnamon, adding another layer to the sensory journey. The result was an artistic sanctuary that transported viewers into the heart of Kintsugi, a Japanese philosophy that embraces imperfections and celebrates the beauty in repair.
Kintsugi: Embracing the Beauty of Imperfection
Rooted in the Japanese tradition of mending broken pottery with gold, Kintsugi is a philosophy that highlights rather than conceals fractures, finding beauty in the process of healing and reconstitution. It is a metaphor for resilience, transformation, and the re-unification of fragmented elements. Inspired by this ethos, Wijewardene’s paintings deconstruct and reconstruct diverse and seemingly unrelated elements, creating compositions that embody both rupture and reconciliation. In an era marked by division and discord, Kintsugi stands as a poignant response to the normalization of intolerance, hatred, and bigotry. Whether in Colombo, Ukraine or Gaza, societies grapple with wounds; physical, emotional, and psychological. Wijewardene and Gunasekera’s work offers an invitation to rise from the shards of our shattered realities, to mend, rebuild, and ultimately find harmony in co-existence.
The Interactive Experience: A Dialogue Between Art, Poetry, and Music
A key element of the Kintsugi experience is the seamless interplay between visual art and poetry. Gunasekera’s verses, crafted specifically for the paintings, reflect the Kintsugi philosophy through a dynamic process of fragmentation and reassembly. His poetry interlaces fragments of prose and verse into a unified composition, echoing the themes of rupture and restoration. The accompanying video installation, directed by Wijewardene, brings together all artistic elements into an immersive and evocative narrative. Featuring music composed by Oscar nominated composer, Sharon Smith, the film harmonizes diverse cultural and musical influences, further underscoring the concept of unity in diversity. Gunasekera’s recitation of his poetry enhances the auditory depth, adding a deeply personal and intimate dimension to the experience. The video encapsulates the essence of the entire installation; paintings, poetry, and music, creating an emotionally rich and immersive experience. Rather than focusing on each individual word or image, viewers are encouraged to surrender to the flow, allowing themselves to be carried into a stream of consciousness. This dreamlike journey transcends conventional interpretation, offering an experience that is felt as much as it is perceived. As the most vital aspect of the installation, the video invites viewers to engage fully, not by dissecting its components but by embracing its emotional and sensory depth.
The Book: A Testament to Artistic Synergy
The collaboration between Wijewardene and Gunasekera did not merely exist within the installation; it extended into a beautifully crafted book, which was released in Sri Lanka on the 17th of February 2025 at Cinnamon Life, Colombo. Initially, Wijewardene had reached out to Gunasekera for a short reflection on her paintings. What she received months later was a compelling collection of poetry so deeply intertwined with her work that it necessitated a broader artistic platform. The Kintsugi book became the natural extension of the exhibition, pairing each poem with a corresponding painting. While the art and poetry were not literal interpretations of one another, their alignment created a dialogue that deepened their individual and collective resonance. The book’s design, personally overseen by Wijewardene, ensured a seamless aesthetic and conceptual unity. The project became an embodiment of the very themes it explored: collaboration, restoration, and the harmonious coexistence of distinct elements.
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