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Kintsugi, Grief & Memory: A Workshop in Tending Fractures

Sat, May 14

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Portland Grief House

Kintsugi (金継ぎ, gold joinery) is the Japanese craft of repairing ceramics. It teaches us to honor our love for what was, look carefully at our broken pieces and hold the possibility of a new kind of whole.

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Kintsugi, Grief & Memory: A Workshop in Tending Fractures
Kintsugi, Grief & Memory: A Workshop in Tending Fractures

When & Where

May 14, 2022, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM PDT

Portland Grief House, 7906 North Fessenden Street, Portland, OR 97203

What

Kintsugi (金継ぎ, gold joinery) is the Japanese craft of repairing ceramics. It teaches us to honor our love for what was, look carefully at our broken pieces and hold the possibility of a new kind of whole.

This 3 hour workshop is offered for people who are actively grieving a loss. There is no right or wrong here; no single valid source for your grief and no statute of limitations. Perhaps you recently lost someone to death, lost a job you cared about, or a tree you cared about. You might be mourning a loss that happened last week, one from years past, or it could be the anticipatory grief of something you see on the horizon. All is welcome.

We will gather before class for a grounding and memory-sharing activity (there is no requirement that you share verbally, but it will be an option), reflecting on and honoring the beauty of what we had. Then we will transition to class. We'll look carefully at our broken ceramic objects and learn to repair them with the modern methods - using epoxy and putty to mend damaged pieces, then finishing the joints with gold powder. We'll end together again, with our new whole, broken objects which we will take with us back out into our lives.

This workshop will be taught by Emi Joyce; formerly a full time bench jeweler, currently a Kintsugi restorer and natural dyer. Her Kintsugi Instagram; @modernkintsugirepairpdx, assisted by Laura Green

Workshop instructions;

- Bring one or two damaged ceramics. For the workshop please bring ceramics, potteries, or porcelain. No glasses or wood.

- A damaged family heirloom or items which are broken into numerous pieces would be challenging to attempt for the first time. Instead, bring something easier. Basic 8” white plates are provided by purchasing at the workshop.

- Item’s original size must be within 12 inches. The larger and heavier, the more difficult.

- Decoration is recommended after all repairs have been made.

- All materials are included in the workshop fee. If you would like to purchase a Kintsugi kit, limited kits are available at the workshop.

- Bring a cardboard box or something similar that will allow you to carry your items home without touching the repaired parts. Stuffers and adhesive tapes will be provided (but limited) to keep the item from moving in the box.

We are grateful to Emi for bringing her craft and skill to the Portland Grief House and sharing this subtle, powerful art with us. 

Tell Others

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All grief is welcome here.

All are welcome here.

This is an LGBTQ+ and BIPOC-affirming place.

The Grief House is not a replacement for skilled mental health care. We cannot provide acute crisis intervention. If you’re struggling to find the help you need, we are happy to offer referrals and suggest resources. If you feel like you might hurt yourself or someone else, help is available 24 hours a day from the National Suicide Hotline (1-800-273-8255) or by dialing or texting 988. If you are having a medical emergency, please dial 911.

Finding Us

The Atlanta Grief House Nickerson Cottage at Legacy Park Decatur 500 S. Columbia Dr, Decatur, GA 30030 Notes on finding us: GPS will take you to the center of Legacy Park. The Nickerson Cottage is a stone building with raised bed gardens on the south side of Legacy Park's campus. If you enter campus through the south entrance it will be the first cottage you come to. You can park in any of the surrounding lots. If coming in the evening you will see the string lights on our front porch. Nickerson Cottage is largely wheelchair accessible.

The Portland Grief House 7906 N Fessenden St, Portland, OR 97203 Notes on finding us: We are the green house on the corner of N Fessenden & N Allegheny Ave. Enter through the gate at the corner.

Wilderings, operating as The Grief House, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN  84-4336786) and all donations are tax deductible. 

The Grief House works on and serves communities on land that is the unceeded territory of the Muskogee, Cherokee and Creek peoples in Georgia and the Clackamas, Stl’pulmsh, Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla and Siletz peoples in Oregon.

 

We honor them as we live, work and serve grievers on these unceeded lands. 

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