The process of restoration involves different forms of repairing techniques to bring back a broken item to its previous condition. But a certain type of repairing technique called kintsugi gave the term ‘fixing’ a whole different meaning. This Japanese tradition of repairing broken pottery involves mending the breakages with gold lacquer to put the pieces back together. As a result, the golden seams become highly visible, giving the repaired pottery a new look which differs from its original condition. Inspired by this Japanese tradition, Brazilian artist Tatiane Freitas took on repairing broken wooden furniture using the same approach. But instead of using gold lacquer, she uses acrylic resin to fill the missing parts of the furniture.
In her My New Old Chair series, she presents a clever combination of classic and modern materials. By merging solid wooden parts and translucent materials together, she was able to harmonize two contrasting themes into one piece. The talented visual artist uses craft wood as her most common material. But she has been developing a new technique to blend wood materials with other substances such as translucent acrylic resin. The pellucid parts of the furniture may look completely void at first glance. This visually-contrasting effect doesn’t only intrigue the viewer’s eyes but it also conveys an essential meaning.
Memories of the past, no matter how broken they are, cannot be replaced or rewritten. In order to honor the past that can no longer be brought back, the artist selects to mend the broken pieces with translucent materials. This could restore the item’s functionality while leaving the lost memories as they were. As a result, the fixed furniture presents a perfect balance of the vintage and the contemporary, solid and translucent. The application of opposing forces to achieve asymmetrical design has never been so appealing and fascinating. Furthermore, this artwork encourages us to revisit our past and learn to adjourn it with our present. That would definitely make our life more beautiful and meaningful.
Brazilian visual artist Tatiane Freitas uses acrylic resin to fill the missing parts of the broken furniture
Source: Tatiane Freitas | Instagram