Artist: Mathilde Rouchaville
Model: Tarah Lee
Photo: Mathilde Rouchaville
My bodypainting is inspired by the ancient Japanese art of kintsugi, often linked to Chinese philosophy through its profound symbolism: the idea of visible, accepted, and precious repair. Kintsugi is the art of repairing broken pottery by highlighting the cracks with golden lacquer, turning scars into strength and beauty.
I wanted to translate this philosophy onto the human body. Through a stone-like texture painted on the skin, I express the solidity gained over time. Every experience, every hardship leaves a mark a crack but rather than hide it, I chose to highlight it with gold.
This bodypainting tells the story of a body and spirit that were broken, yet rebuilt, and enriched. The golden lines represent past wounds turned valuable, moments of rupture that shaped a new inner strength. They don’t conceal the damage.they celebrate it.
By choosing a stone effect, I pay tribute to resilience, transformation, and the idea that what we endure doesn’t weaken us—it shapes us. This body is a monument to resilience. It is a work of art, marked by time, but more beautiful for having been broken.
