KINTSUGI ( GOLDEN REPAIR)
THE WORKSHOP
Kintsugi with Paula Armstrong
Hosted at Sol Creative Foundry
Get to Know Us
Transform brokenness into beauty. Learn the ancient Japanese art of kintsugi and give your cherished ceramics a stunning second life with golden repair. In this 2-hour workshop, you’ll discover the meditative practice of kintsugi, a centuries-old technique that celebrates repair rather than concealing it. Using gold to highlight breaks and cracks, kintsugi honours each piece’s unique history and transforms imperfection into art.
The Kintsugi Philosophy
Rather than hiding damage, kintsugi embraces it. Each crack becomes part of the object’s story, marked with precious metal that adds both beauty and meaning. It’s a powerful reminder that our breaks and repairs make us more valuable, not less.
What you’ll do
Paula will guide you through the kintsugi repair process using modern materials, epoxy adhesive and lustrous gold mica powder to achieve the distinctive aesthetic of traditional kintsugi. You’ll leave with a beautifully repaired piece and the skills to continue this practice at home.
Who it’s for
No experience needed. This is a good fit if you:
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want to try something new
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enjoy working with your hands
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are looking for something slower
What’s included
Bring a broken ceramic piece that holds meaning for you, a favourite mug, a family heirloom, or any treasured pottery. Don’t have something broken? Paula can provide a simple bowl to break and repair during the workshop for an additional £10.
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All materials
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Tools and guidance
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Tea and coffee
About
Paula
I’ve been working with clay for almost thirty years – ever since graduating with a degree in Design Crafts specialising in ceramics back in 1997. But my love affair with clay started long before that, at school, when I realised I could spend hours making something with my hands and lose all sense of time. That hasn’t changed. Clay still has the power to surprise me, challenge me, and keep me curious.
My sculptures are all about connection – between maker and material, and between the piece and the person looking at it. I love it when someone sees something in my work that I didn’t even put there, or when the same piece makes two people feel completely different things.
Alongside making, I’m passionate about sharing clay with others. I believe creativity belongs to everyone, and nothing beats seeing a student’s face light up when they open the kiln to find something they love – especially if they weren’t expecting it to work. My aim is to make learning relaxed, encouraging, and a little bit adventurous, whether you’re in my Cambridgeshire studio or joining me online.
Over the years, my work has found its way into exhibitions across the UK and further afield – from London and Venice to the Florence Biennale this October. A piece of mine lives in the permanent collection at Northampton Museum, and I’ve been lucky to receive awards for my business, teaching, and artwork. You might have seen me on BBC Look East, read about me in the local press, or stumbled across my YouTube channel, where 8,000 subscribers join me to explore the possibilities of clay.
And because there’s more to life than ceramics… You might also find me walking Hetti, my one-eyed French Bulldog (and occasional studio supervisor), getting lost in a good story, or letting my still-slightly-Canadian accent slip out mid-conversation.