Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, I was a shy, quiet, and reserved girl. I never truly felt passionate about something nor did I feel like I was particularly good at anything until I discovered my love for art. I found art to be a language that came naturally to me and a creative outlet that allowed me to express myself in ways I otherwise couldn’t. I went on to pursue a B.F.A and M.F.A in Ceramics at Hongik University. After moving to the United States, I continued to make pots, although my career often came secondary to raising my two daughters. Now that they’ve both graduated from college, I’ve been able to take part in more opportunities and further cultivate and share my art. I currently live in Athens, GA as a full time studio potter with my husband, who is also a ceramic artist. My work is a reflection of my emotions and perceptions of life and human nature, which is manifested in the natural characteristics of clay. I hope to share the beauty of imperfect life and nature through my artwork and would feel fulfilled knowing that my work has brought even the smallest sliver of happiness and comfort to someone’s day.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
I am fascinated by the natural lines, forms, and spaces I find in nature and the depth, and characters within objects that show the passage of time. I am also inspired and influenced by Korean traditional ceramics, which embraces the beauty of simplicity, vitality, profoundness, and imperfection. This intrinsic beauty, which requires time, dedication to mastering techniques, and understanding the materials and unpremeditated process of creation, is what I value and strive for in my work.
In terms of state of mind and physical creativity, spontaneity and vitality empowered by balance and harmony is one of the important elements of my work process as well as my life. I am often attempting to find a balance between contrasting attributes: strong/relaxed, soft/sharp, mass/lines, calm/vigorous, bold/subtle, full/empty, colorful/neutral, straight/curve, restrained/free, intentional/unconscious, pause/proceed, tense/relaxing, still/dynamic. My work is a reflection of my self-examination and growth through contemplations of humanity, nature, life, and myself.
