Taku Nakano

Taku Nakano

Taku Nakano is a potter who runs a ceramics studio in Omotesando, Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo. He creates unique ceramic pieces using rare materials such as precious metals, glass, and natural lacquer, with a focus on cosmic (celestial) motifs, crafting artworks in his own distinctive style. He also works as a Kintsugi master and was commissioned by the Georgian government to repair a wine jar, which was displayed as a symbolic object representing the meeting of Georgian wine culture and Japanese Kintsugi culture at the Georgian Wine Exhibition held in Tennozu Isle. Nakano's approach to merging ceramics and glass he crafts himself with Kintsugi, upcycling them to suit modern lifestyles, has been dubbed by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun as “a new wave in traditional crafts attracting global attention.” His flexible thinking, solid skills, extensive knowledge, and unique sense of combining these elements have garnered support from many ceramics enthusiasts. He has taught over two thousand students, including celebrities and dignitaries.

Kintsugi

Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese technique for beautifully repairing broken ceramics, born from Japan's unique historical and cultural background. Japan, often struck by natural disasters like major earthquakes and typhoons, has nurtured this culture of repair. As people living on these disaster-prone islands, the Japanese value overcoming adversity and emerging stronger and more beautiful. This ethos is reflected in Kintsugi, where the aim is not just to repair but to restore objects to a state even more robust and beautiful than before.

Top view of Kintsugi Ceramic works

Background of Kintsugi

The background of Kintsugi lies in the aesthetics of 'wabi-sabi', embracing cracks and imperfections as part of beauty evolving over time. Also, reflecting the spirit of 'mottainai', or avoiding waste, Japan has cultivated a recycling culture since the Edo period, fostering a spirit of respect for objects. The philosophy that both objects and lives deserve a second chance, and that overcoming hardship makes one stronger and more radiant, is deeply ingrained in the technique and culture of Kintsugi.

Elegant black kintsugi bowl with golden joinery

Spirit of Kintsugi

Kintsugi is more than a mere repair technique. It embodies a culture coexisting with the Japanese spirit, offering not just physical restoration but also mental rejuvenation and therapeutic effects, demonstrating the deep connection between objects and people. This traditional technique symbolizes Japan's history, culture, and mental resilience, imparting new value to damaged items and holding significant contemporary relevance as a sustainable practice.

Black Kintsugi tea bowl repaired with blown glass using the Yobitsugi technique, the most challenging of Kintsugi techniques, presented in a paulownia wood box.

Kintsugi Gift & Experience

Kintsugi holds a special meaning for those who have overcome adversity. At Millennium Gallery, we offer a service to create personalized Kintsugi products through a collaboration with Taku Nakano. Why not gift a unique piece of pottery imbued with the aesthetics and philosophy of Kintsugi to someone special in your life?

Commission a Bespoke Kintsugi Masterpiece

Our master Kintsugi artist, Taku Nakano, accepts a limited number of bespoke commissions each year, creating original artworks that celebrate the beauty of resilience.

As each bespoke masterpiece is personally handcrafted by Taku Nakano, our studio can only accept a select number of projects. We will review each inquiry based on the artistic scope, production schedule, and budget, and will respond only to those we are able to move forward with.

To begin this collaboration, please contact us with details regarding your preferred type of ceramic, the number of pieces, and your estimated budget.

Kintsugi Pottery Collection

Kintsugi Pottery

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