Icheon Potters Association of Korea

Crafted Vancouver has been hosting a 25-day festival featuring multiple craft disciplines for most of May. In the International category there was an exhibition of Master Ceramicists at Granville Island’s Performance Works May 10th – 18th.

ICHEON POTTERS ASSOCIATION OF KOREA PRESENTS AN EXHIBITION OF MASTER CERAMICISTS

A selling exhibition of 13 ceramic artists represented by the Icheon Potters Association. Icheon is the first city in the Republic of Korea to be designated as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities of Crafts & Folk Arts in July 2010. Icheon has a tradition of ceramic culture that began over 5,000 years ago and is at the heart of Korean ceramic production. Included in this exhibition are a selection of works that use traditional techniques to produce a wide range of functional pottery and contemporary innovations.

Traveling with this exhibition are Association Chairman Dae-Young Lee and six Master ceramicists and apprentice.

http://craftedvancouver.com/events/icheon-pottery-association-of-korea-exhibition/

A selling exhibition of 13 ceramic artists represented by the Icheon Potters Association. Icheon is the first city in the Republic of Korea to be designated as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities of Crafts & Folk Arts in July 2010. Icheon has a tradition of ceramic culture that began over 5,000 years ago and is at the heart of Korean ceramic production. Included in this exhibition are a selection of works that use traditional techniques to produce a wide range of functional pottery and contemporary innovations.

Traveling with this exhibition are Association Chairman Dae-Young Lee and six Master ceramicists and apprentice.

 

 

 

 

 

This was followed by a three-day workshop, finishing today, with demonstrations, opportunities to experience the techniques shown, gourmet lunches, and a fine Korean meal last night. Also yesterday and today there were Onggi Pot making demonstrations at Performance Works and at The Shipyards in North Vancouver. 

 

I was only able to visit the Exhibition, last Tuesday, after I had been downtown seeing the Yixing Tea-pot exhibition there, but I hope lots of other potters were able to see the show, attend the workshop, see the Onggi pot making or at least enjoy Korean cuisine last night. Here are some photos of the amazing Icheon pots on display.

It was nice to recognize pots by our local Korean potter Clay Kim in the show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeing these classic Korean forms reminds me that my first important pottery instructor, Douglas College’s Fred Owen, was hugely influenced by his time in Korea. He insisted that we learn to pot on kick wheels and learn to throw ‘off the hump’ first and fire our work in a reduction gas kiln with fine celadons, as well as temmoku and ‘Ngan Blue’. So it’s impossible not to appreciate truly professional, tradition-based elegant work.

Thank you Icheon Potters Association and Crafted Vancouver for bringing this exhibition to Vancouver.

Gillian McMillan

Gillian writes blogs about ceramics in and around Vancouver and sometimes talks about other Art, her garden, travels and family.

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