Works by Rio Hashimoto

Rio Hashimoto is a Kyoto-based urushi lacquer artist who completed her M.F.A. at Kyoto City University of Arts in 2025. Her practice holds beauty and discomfort in tension — extending across sculpture, video, and kintsugi to explore touch, taboo, and the boundaries of form. Each restored vessel becomes an open question — where the gold line traces not only the fracture, but the threshold between attraction and taboo.

Authentic Japanese Kintsugi Artistry

  • A Japanese artisan restoring a blue matcha bowl with natural urushi lacquer, carefully joining broken ceramic fragments in the traditional Kintsugi method.

    Urushi Lacquer Craftsmanship

    Restored in Japan with natural urushi, each piece is built through layered lacquer and careful polishing using time-honored methods. You can also view a short restoration video on every product page.

  • A lacquer artist painting delicate petal motifs with a maki-e brush inside a white floral matcha bowl, combining decorative urushi art with Kintsugi restoration.

    Kintsugi’s Artful Finishes

    We restore classical Kintsugi using pure gold, but also finish pieces in silver or colored urushi to best suit each vessel. To enrich the expression, we may decorate using lacquer arts such as raden or maki-e, giving each scar renewed character and imperfect beauty.

  • Hand holding a restored Oribe-style matcha bowl with authentic urushi Kintsugi, photographed beneath cherry blossoms—highlighting Japanese artistry and the quiet beauty of renewal.

    Ethically Sourced & Food-Safe

    Each piece begins as a valuable vessel—damaged yet worth preserving. Ethically sourced and carefully restored with natural urushi using traditional methods, made food-safe for daily use.

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Gold powder being delicately sprinkled onto an Aka-raku Kyoto tea bowl during the kintsugi finishing stage—capturing the luminous moment where urushi, 24K gold, and Japanese artistry converge.

The Art Behind Every Restoration

Each restored vessel carries its own quiet story—shaped by skilled hands, natural materials, and the passage of time. Thoughtfully renewed to be lived with, not just admired.

Explore the World of Kintsugi