KINTSUGI
THE CONTEMPLATIVE ART OF BRUNO CAPOLONGO

Capolongo is perhaps the only artist in the world to adapt true kintsugi to large-scale, wall hung paintings. Each painting begins with shattering slate-like panels. By doing so the artist employs chaos as a creative starting point, accepting each piece as integral to the finished artwork. In fact, the areas overlaid with 22–23kt gold are remnants of that chaotic starting point, making each painting an emblem of endurance, strength, renewal, and rebirth.

“When life chips, cracks and breaks us we must pick-up the pieces to start anew.” —Bruno Capolongo

At first sight these blue, white and gold paintings appear to be straightforward abstracts; but in fact they’re highly realistic renderings. Each painting is an enlarged section of pottery by the modern abstract artist Chu Teh-Chun. The acclaimed artist’s stunning pottery is the focus of Capolongo’s series.

To Capolongo, Teh-Chun pottery is the realization of a wonderful synthesis of traditional Chinese and contemporary Western artforms. Teh-Chun maintained the familiar potter’s palette of blue and white glazes, but traditional motifs and dragons are nowhere seen in Teh-Chun’s wares, they are replaced with washes, strokes and drips of deep blues and flicks of gold.

Homage to Chu Teh-Chun (Kintsugi) #11, 2021 is oil, acrylic and 22k gold mounted on a shattered panel. It measures 36 x 36 inches and is signed by Capolongo on the bottom right.