Finding beauty from broken things

When one of Deng Bin's dishes gets chipped, the last thing he thinks about is throwing it away.

Unlike most, Deng, an artist and lecturer at Jiangnan University in the East China city of Wuxi, finds beauty in irregularities. Repairing broken things is one thing, but Deng's artworks go a step further; by mending broken things with the most precious of metals - gold.

Deng's philosophy is as much metaphorical as it is manifested in his work. He believes that hiding or discarding things isn't the best way to deal with breakages. So he transforms the once-ugly scars into beautiful features.

Repairing things with gold isn't entirely new, however. In Japan, the ancient technique is known as Kintsugi and involves gluing broken ceramics together with Mugi Urushi, a mixture of wheat flower, water and raw lacquer.

It was the ancient Japanese craft that first attracted Deng to the art of gold repair, after having repaired ancient furniture for several years.

"I saw some photos of antiques repaired with gold in Japan. Somehow I assumed the systems of the two crafts would be quite similar," he said.

Deng's initial enthusiasm to learn the craft was soon thwarted when he discovered he was seriously allergic to lacquer. "I had to wear two breathing masks when I first learnt to make the shellac varnish and sometimes I still suffered allergy." It took him months to finally get used to working with lacquer.

While the art form has its roots in Japan, Deng's inspiration comes much closer to home.

"The aesthetics of Jiangnan (areas south of the Yangtze River) culture greatly influence me when I draw on the joint. The lines aren't symmetrical or smooth," he said.

"I observed traditional architectures in Wuxi. For example, the lines of the rooftops of Jichang Garden are not smooth and it's part of the garden's beauty."

The repair process requires great patience. Deng sometimes has to stay up late to wait for the glue to dry, so he can paste gold powder to the joint at the right time.

"Seven years of gold repair has resulted in serious myopia and neck strain. However, I still enjoy the process. I'm proud that I can do something for the traditional culture."

Deng Bin at his studio. [Photo/youku.com]

An antique bowl repaired with gold by Deng.[Photo/youku.com]

Deng draws gold clue on a broken jade bracelet. [Photo/youku.com]