Tracing every deep crack, local award-winning ceramic artist Enders Wong Sum finds glimmers through “Kintsugi” to carry the broken stories into tomorrow.
Kintsugi is a Japanese art technique that repairs broken pottery with lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. To bring the shattered piece back to life, the restoration process requires seven steps, each separated by seven days. In other words, every repair would take 49 days on average.
As both curator and collector, Wong's artistic journey began with painting and photography before he found himself immersed in ceramics and winning a number of awards. Yet, it was a broken blue bowl that led him on a path to Kintsugi.
Beyond the satisfaction of rebuilding memories through art, Wong hopes to promote imperfect fractures as opportunities for transformation. Over the past eight years, he has hosted more than 50 Kintsugi workshops, attracting students from varied backgrounds – including doctors, architects, and devoted couples.
The thing they have in common, Wong said, is the treasured stories behind their broken ceramics.
Recounting a case that involved a badly damaged teapot brought by a female student, Wong noted it was a honeymoon souvenir that had “witnessed” every child welcomed to the family over 23 years.
The student reinforced the bottom with fabric and added mother-of-pearl inlay inside the pot, successfully bringing the treasure back home months later.
“What was repaired is more than an object, but decades of shared memories to be carried forward,” Wong said.
Recalling the beginning of his teaching journey, Wong said it all started with an invitation to teach Kintsugi at a Sha Tin mall event during the Hong Kong Museum of Art's renovation 10 years ago.
With over 100 participants repairing ceramics together, he noted the experience has sparked his commitment to hosting workshops.
As the founder of Touch Gallery at Tai Kwun since 2016, he admitted balancing commercial viability with artist integrity is a challenge that often requires compromises.
However, he said teaching Kintsugi remains his way to release stress, forcing him to focus on one step at a time.
