Our Mission

Everything starts with an idea. Through the Japanese culture of kintsugi, we want to convey to many people that everything is a resource.

KintsugiLA is an experiential workshop brand based in Los Angeles that promotes the philosophy of “beautiful restoration” through the traditional Japanese art of Kintsugi. Founded in Anaheim, California, in 2021, it now offers workshops for corporations, libraries, and private sessions for individuals.

Kintsugi is a unique Japanese technique that repairs broken pottery using lacquer and gold powder. Rather than concealing the cracks, it incorporates them into the design, creating new value and beauty. This philosophy carries a profound message that can be applied not only to objects but also to life itself.

At KintsugiLA, we provide workshops that cater to everyone, from beginners to experienced participants, where they can learn both traditional lacquer techniques and modern approaches. We also offer instructor training courses for those who wish to master the art of Kintsugi, as well as restoration services using food-safe materials. Together with many participants, we’ve shared the joy of seeing broken pieces regain their brilliance.

 

Whats? Kintsugi

It is the art of repairing chipped or broken pottery with lacquer and embellishing it with gold.

In Japan, they have discovered pottery mended with lacquer from as early as the Jōmon period (14,000-300 BCE).

The "acceptance of imperfection" that is taught through Kintsugi comes from the philosophy of Cha-no-yu (traditional tea ceremony) which is seeing beauty in the once broken, and now mended, pottery.

Kintsukgi is now gaining popularity for mending and breathing life back into a well loved dish or enjoying the process and outcomes as art.

Our Team

  • TAKASHI KOBAYASHI

    Lecturer [Japan: Resident]: Takashi Kobayashi

    Born 1965 in Yamanashi Prefecture／Lives in Osaka City

    After graduating from high school, he decided to pursue a career in manufacturing and studied production design at a jewelry school in Tokyo. After working as a designer for a jewelry company, a designer for a design office, and a freelance designer, he has been involved in training as a full-time instructor at his alma mater for about 18 years. Since 2010, he has been running "BACO WORKS," where he focuses on jewelry production and also collaborates with creators in other fields, and currently works on metal nameplates, store signs, kintsugi, etc. In 2016, he established "CREA/ME". In 2019, he will start an online salon, CREA/MEETUP (CREA/ME). Co-chairman of KASIKA Co.

  • FUMIKA TANOKASHIRA

    Lecturer ［America: Resident]: FUMIKA TANOKASHIRA

    Born 1979 in Osaka / Lives and works in OC

    Studied design from high school. After working in the design department of a car manufacturer and as a technical illustrator for an agricultural equipment manufacturer, she worked in machine design at a design company, where she learned the joy of manufacturing.

    In 2014, while working at her main job, she learned about the issue of successors to Japanese cutlery culture, such as Japanese swords and knives, and launched the "Tsunagu-project" to report on and communicate with the "makers".

    She will go to the U.S. in the spring of 2020.　From 2021, She will organize "kintsugi_LA" and hold workshops of "simple kintsugi" mainly in Anaheim, California.

  • Hugo and Tomomi Hernandez