Kintsugi, 2025 – 2026
Instax, collage. Dimension variable
The instant photography series “Kintsugi” is based on my personal photo archive, created in various cities across Ukraine prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion. The conceptual foundation of the project is the Japanese art of kintsugi, which involves repairing broken ceramics by mending the damaged areas with gold or other materials. The philosophy of kintsugi treats breakage and repair as part of an object’s history, rather than something to disguise. It is a way to remember our tragedies, to accept, and to overcome our traumas.
Observing the systematic destruction of my country by Russia, I decided to apply the kintsugi method through photography and collage. By “repairing” images from different corners of Ukraine, I not only emphasize the vulnerability of these objects and of ourselves, but I also bear witness to a tragedy that future generations must remember.
Through the kintsugi method, I explore how the passage of time in the context of war alters familiar landscapes to which I no longer have physical access. After working on this series for almost a year, I realized that it is important to me not just to document this transformation of space, but to pay tribute to the memories of life without a full-scale war.
Olga Chekotovska 