The choice to focus on Korean ceramic artists in American came first because of the incredible work they are making. The curatorial inquiry into this group of extremely talented artists, revealed a common experience of growing up in South Korea, beginning their art education there, and then moving to the US or Canada to pursue graduate studies in ceramic art. This group represents a larger trend that began after 1989, when the South Korean government relaxed travel rules and Koreans seeking new ideas and further education in many disciplines travelled abroad to gain wider perspectives and broaden their horizons.
Change is a common theme among the artists’ work. Many use narrative to reveal tensions they feel between South Korean and US/Canadian cultures. Ahrong Kim recounts her need to recalibrate her sense of artistic “quality” and herself as an artist during her studies in the US. She recalls a shift from physical perfection to conceptual rigor. It is her ability now to embrace both that gives her work its power. Yehrim Lee connected in the US with material experimentation through a partnership with ceramic scientists at Alfred University. Jinsik Yoo searched for a way to communicate his emotions in three dimensions. New perspectives of himself as a citizen of the world led to a breakthrough.
A worthwhile exhibition requires more than a group of talented artists with similar life experiences. Three other major factors point to this as a relevant exhibition topic for this moment at The Clay Studio. Immigration to pursue new ideas is a perpetually relevant topic in the US. Communities across the nation, very much including our new neighborhood, can relate to the topic through their personal immigration stories. The Clay Studio will have just experienced our own geographic transition in 2022 with repercussions around identity and new perspectives. Finally, a planned major exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art dedicated to Korean artists around the world, all convinced our staff and Exhibition Council that Between Horizons would be meaningful to our hyperlocal community, the local and national art world, and the international ceramic art world.
To move is to grow. When we leave our homes, we encounter new ways of living and thinking that help us understand our homes in the sharp focus that can only come with distance. This concept is at the core of what it means to be American. Between Horizons is a case study of artists who have moved from South Korea to America, and what they gained from their transition. Visitors to the exhibition will bring their own stories of immigration and transplantation to contemplate their personal relationship with place, home, and change through this incredible artwork.
