BALK, Edith Maria - Kintsugi

Personal statement by the photographer, Edith BALK

"'Kintsugi' is a traditional Japanese method for repairing damaged ceramics, gluing the broken container with Japanese varnish, incorporating powdered gold into the still wet coats of paint. The break is not a blemish, it has to be made invisible. The pieces are glued, the scars are gilded. Through the transformation, the vessel becomes a particularly beautiful and valuable unique. (...) The book idea of ​​'Kintsugi' is already six years old and was created as part of an exhibition on 'myths' in a small edition in self-publication. For the publication at Peperoni Books, the book has been completely revised in terms of content and form, and the topic has been set closer." (free translated, Edith Maria BALK)
"Limit everything to the essentials, but do not remove the poetry." (Leonard KOREN, in: Wabi Sabi)

Background information, content

"Life can be an unreasonable hustle and bustle, stress, overburdening, sometimes also Job messages and strokes of fate - in addition to the beautiful always painful memories of the past that can not be changed. Now and then you have to remember, question routines, to distinguish the essential from the non-essential and to open up to the elemental and beautiful, of which one is also surrounded. Ok, these are calendar quotes and it is also allowed to ask why one should also deal with the point of view of this photographer. You do not have to. Rather, with its beautiful still images of water and clouds, flowers and trees, sun and light, people and magical moments, the book itself creates that moment of pause and contemplation. 'Kintsugi' is a big little book about silence." (free translated text, © Hannes WANDERER)

About German photographer Edith BALK

Photo books by Edith BALK