Maker Faire Orange County 2024
EJ Kintsugi and Balloon Twists
Home: California, United States
Ethan and Jonathan are brothers displaying their talents. Ethan sharing his technique in the Japanese art of Kintsugi that repairs broken ceramics with gold dust. Jonathan is a long time balloon artist that makes all sorts of creations.
Makers
Ethan Rhee
Ethan Rhee is a rising senior who learned Kintsugi to repair all of his mother’s ceramic vessels that he broke while using them for his sunflower seeds. He is also a Beckman Varsity baseball player that just won the CIF Championship as well as a published poet and serves on the Orange County Youth Council.
Jonathan Rhee
Jonathan Rhee is a rising 9th grader who is a balloon artist that has worked birthday events, school events and city-wide cultural events. He creates elaborate balloon art that includes guitars, lobsters, alligators, flower bouquets, crowns, trophies and much more. He is also the principal coder on the robotics team, Amirite 8838D, are California State Champs and went onto the Vex World’s Championship.
What Inspired You to Make This?
Jonathan saw a balloon twister at a party when he was young and he immediately turned to YouTube to self teach myself all about it. Ethan looked up ways to repair broken ceramics because he didn’t want to throw them away. He has always been looking for ways to repair things so they do not end up in the trash.
