In ceramic
art there is the beauty of everyday life, while in ceramic history there is the
wisdom of a culture. From the Fire
assembles 54 contemporary Korean ceramic artists whose work reflects the
challenges of combining rich and distinct ceramic roots with new influences and
reinterpreted methods. The 108 artworks in this exhibition reveal that the
wisdom of Korea’s
ceramic tradition continues, 5,000 years after it began.
Korea’s ceramic heritage has established
an imperative: In Korea, if one makes ceramics, one must do it well. This is
the weight of Korea’s
distinct tradition and it has often burdened artists. It has, for example,
taken some artists long periods to digest new trends, posing an obstacle to the
development of contemporary ceramics. In contrast, the advantages of having a
strong tradition are the many references and sources of information that are
still incorporated and brought to light by practicing artists.
Tradition
is the undercurrent that shapes most of the issues and dialog in contemporary
Korean ceramics. “What can the ceramics of the past teach us today, and how are
we continuing with the ceramic skills passed down from our ancestors? How has
function changed in ceramics in a time when our lives have become deeply
influenced by Western concepts?” From the
Fire looks at these issues through this synthesis of contemporary Korean
ceramics.
The curator
of From the Fire is Ms. Chung-Hyun
Cho, ceramic artist and professor in the Department of Ceramics at the College of Art
and Design of Ewha Womans University in Seoul,
Korea. She has
selected ceramic artists ranging in age from 30 to 80. This age range provides diversity
and a distinct sense of contemporary Korean ceramic history. The exhibition is
organized into three groups: Tradition Transformed , Ceramic Sculpture, and
Individual Direction. The categories show a progression that conveys the
development of contemporary ceramics in Korea.
The
national tour of From the Fire:
Contemporary Korean Ceramics has been organized by International Arts &
Artists, Washington, DC, and made possible by the generous
support of the The Korea Foundation, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter
Foundation, Mr. Nam-Kil Yang, and the Korean Culture & Arts Foundation.
