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Season
4
:
Episode
9

The Art of Kintsugi Ceramics: Naoko Fukumaru on Making What’s Broken Beautiful

The Art of Kintsugi Ceramics: Naoko Fukumaru on Making What’s Broken Beautiful
April 1, 2025

Sometimes healing doesn't mean trying to erase the past, but honoring it — cracks and all. In this episode, artist Naoko Fukumaru shares her deeply personal story of transformation through kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery or ceramics with lacquer and gold or silver powder to highlight the fractures and seams. She and host Brian Lowery explore what it means to mend — not just objects, but spirit — and why the most broken parts of us may be the most beautiful. For more on Naoko Fukumaru visit naokofukumaru.com, and for more on Brian Lowery and the show, check out knowwhatyousee.com.

Brian Lowery

A Photo of Brian Lowery

Brian Lowery is a Professor of Organizational Behavior and a social psychologist by training. He received his doctorate from UCLA in 2001 with a minor in statistical methods.

Naoko Fukumaru

Naoko Fukumaru

Kintsugi Artist
Naoko Fukumaru

Instead of hiding restorations, Fukumaru showcases them, allowing imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness to be featured and embraced.

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