KintsugiCoral is inspired by the shape of a piece of coral, but as a coral is built up as a skeleton the sculpture is overgrown with broken pottery. Human culture and a piece of nature have intermingled into a new form of coexistence. The work refers to the coral as an endangered species, under serious pressure of human activities. From this point of view, the pottery ‘suffocates’ the coral. On the other hand it offers a positive view on the ecological drama, because coral and humans are interdependent. The broken pottery refers also to the Japanese art of ‘kintsugi’. It means that by repairing a piece of broken pottery (with gold) it will gain value and meaning. In this case the pottery forms a new whole as a sculpture, a natural growth on the coral shape. The philosophy behind kintsugi, about acceptance of loss and change, can also be applied to the sculpture. Regarding nature and the coral reefs in particular, change is something that has to be dealt with, and repairing the damage is the next step.
Sunrise picture by Clyde Yee
Sydney (Sculpture by the Sea), Bondi, Australia
2019
