Kintsugi,
the art of repair.
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending which uses urushi lacquer to restore ceramic and wooden items. The process utilizes natural materials and requires time and patience. Carefully repaired and often adorned with color or precious metals, the mended item gains a new life.
TIQUN Studio utilizes Kyoto traditional techniques and materials, bringing the beauty and resonance of this art to an international audience.
What is Urushi?
Urushi is sap from the lacquer tree, a natural resin used for over 9,000 years in Japan for ceremonial and everyday items. It is the essence of kintsugi, and used at each step of the traditional process.
Strong, versatile, regenerative, & safe for human consumption.
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ABOUT
TIQUN believes in the power of traditional craft to inspire our lives in the present.
TIQUN supports urushi culture through sourcing materials from Kyoto family-owned lacquer refining workshops and creating educational opportunities. TIQUN aims to connect people who admire kintsugi with the craft and heritage of urushi.
The studio name 'TIQUN' is an artistic rendition of the Hebrew word for "repair." It emerges from the Kabbalistic story, "The Breaking of Vessels."
This mystical allegory teaches that Divine vessels were broken in order to create the world. As the vessels broke, they sent sparks of light scattering across the world. It is our task to gather these sparks, and mend what is broken.
Tzofiya Bookstein
Tzofiya began studying Kintsugi at Urujyu Studio in December of 2023. Since then she has taken private lessons with Maki-e artist Ryosuke Kanamoto. She joined the Urushi Classroom of Sato Kiyomatsu Shoten, a traditional Urushi Studio in Kyoto City, in March of 2025, and joined their team as a production assistant and Urushi Experience teacher in September of 2025.
She recently founded TIQUN Studio, which emerged from commissions from artists and friends around Kyoto. She enjoys mending beloved objects and found treasures, as well as leading Urushi experiences for international visitors.