Eugenie Crétinon repairs broken ceramics according to Kintsugi codes. This Japanese technique, which aims to revive broken objects, emphasizes the breaks in the ceramic object using gold powder. The French ceramist presents her work in the design lab of the Habitat République store, until December 31st.
The designer has Japan in her skin. Inspired by her folklore as evidenced by her tattoo of Totoro, the creature of the eponymous Japanese animated film, the ceramist launches her workshop Tsukumogami in 2017. At first, she trained in Kitsungi on her own. The videos and tutorials available on the internet teach him the basics of the trade. Then she followed a one-month internship with a Kitsungi master from Kyoto, with the ambition to master all the facets of this art.
The Japanese repair technique remains the same, whether the creation is by Eugenie Crétinon or whether the object she repairs comes from a private individual. The pieces are glued together using lacquer, which is then sprinkled with gold.
Beyond ceramics, Kitsungi can also be applied to wood. The French ceramist is now working on the restoration of traditional Japanese dolls.
Eugenie Crétinon also passes on her skills to those who wish to learn. In the premises of his Montreuil workshop, the apprentices discover, beyond the artistic, a form of resilience that allows them to tame their past by gluing together the broken pieces or to transmit a personal story through an object.
Eugénie Crétinon’s Kitsungi work alongside her traditional ceramic collections, in speckled sandstone modeled and / or turned and then enamelled by hand, in the Habitat République boutique until December 31, 2019.
Habitat République – 10 place de la République, 75011 Paris
Online Store – https://www.etsy.com/shop/tsukumogami/
