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Art of Loving Italy

Art of Loving Italy

Art & Beauty are all around us.

The Japanese art of Kintsugi explained

September 18, 2020 by Melissa Muldoon 1 Comment

Photo Credit: Studentessa Matta, Deposit Photo

In my new book “Eternally Artemisia” one of the themes of the book is art therapy. My main character is a therapist who leads retreats in Tuscany. One of the techniques she teaches her group of women who have suffered abuse is the art of Kintsugi. What is this? Let me explain.

In Japan, when a vase breaks, instead of throwing it away, it is repaired with gold that is literally inserted between the cracks to hold the pieces together. It is done because it is believed that a broken vase can become even more beautiful than it was originally.

Photo Credit: Studentessa Matta, Deposit Photo

But what matters is not so much the possibility of repairing an object by increasing its beauty and value, as the underlying philosophy, that maintains life consists not only of integrity, but also of rupture and, as such, should be accepted.

Photo Credit: Studentessa Matta, Deposit Photo

The pain as well as the error, for the Japanese, does not embody a feeling to be eradicated or hidden, just as aesthetic imperfection is not an element capable of ruining the harmony of a figure; the cracks of the broken object must not be hidden or avoided but accepted and valued, just as the scars and wounds of the soul are not hidden but exhibited without embarrassment, being the same part of man and his history.

Photo Credit: Studentessa Matta, Deposit Photo

Kitsugi shows us that a form of beauty and superior perfection can be reborn from a restored wound, from the slow reparation resulting from a rupture, leaving us to understand that the signs impressed by life on our skin and in our mind have value and meaning, and that it is from them, from their acceptance, from their healing, that the processes of regeneration and inner rebirth that make us whole again in a new way.

My new novel is now available on Amazon in print and Epub—formatted for Kindle and iPad readers. It is also available on Ingram Spark.

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Just Published — Eternally Artemisia! a novel by Melissa Muldoon set in Italy

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Filed Under: Modern, 18th, 19th, Contemporary

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Commenti - Comments

  1. Sheree says

    September 20, 2020 at 10:00 am

    When I read about the Kintsugi method in “Eternally Artemisia”, I was fascinated. I did some research and actually repaired two of my shattered treasures. Thank you.

    Reply

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Driving through the Maremma wending my way back to Driving through the Maremma wending my way back to Roma!
Grazie Antonio @notapioneer per una serata fantast Grazie Antonio @notapioneer per una serata fantastica a Vistamare ti auguro un futuro pieno della fortuna! 💙💛 #portasantospirito💙💛 lol ci sentiamo. Alla prossimo !
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Al ristorante VistaMare ! Che vista!!!! @vistamare Al ristorante VistaMare ! Che vista!!!! @vistamare
The Matta Book Club returns this fall with a new n The Matta Book Club returns this fall with a new novel!! 

More details and the big reveal of the title and the author and details how to sign up for the book club will come next week in a post on the StudentessaMatta.com website... so stay tuned. 

Currently, I'm still in Italy wrapping up a very successful language program in Arezzo! We had a wonderful time!

Now I'm at the beach and currently finishing up the next book club read! LOL

What I can tell you about the novel is that it is a contemporary adventure/murder mystery set in Italy, that takes you from Monte Carlo to London and to France where two thieves board the Orient Express to Venice as they track down Casanova's diary. 

Next week you will have the chance to sign up for group book club meetings of up to 3 or 4 readers, or individual sessions. The novel is available in print and audio and it is my recommendation, with plenty of lead time to read the novel during the summer months prior to the October start date, so that we can really dive into the story, and plot, and work on grammar and idioms.

Stay tuned! State sintonizzati! A presto!
This guy has all his ducks in a row! Al mare in Ca This guy has all his ducks in a row! Al mare in Castiglione della Pescaia
Buongiorno principessa! Siamo pronti per il mare! Buongiorno principessa! Siamo pronti per il mare! 😃

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