Masterclass | Kang-hyo Lee | Moon Jars

L1006552 jpg webp Masterclass | Kang-hyo Lee | Moon Jars Punch'ong

Join the great contemporary Korean potter, Kang-hyo Lee, as he makes moon jars from start to finish.

Kang-hyo Lee’s moon jars are not just beautiful ceramic objects: they are spiritual reflections of the natural world, alternately calm and contemplative, dynamic and dramatic.

Born in Seoul in 1961, Kang-hyo Lee is widely regarded as one of the finest Korean potters working today. His work is rooted in the major Korean ceramic traditions of Onggi pottery – voluminous storage jars originally designed for holding fermented food – and Punch’ong decoration, where white slip is layered and brushed over dark clay.

Perhaps the most beguiling of his many beautiful forms, however, are Lee’s moon jars, a type of pottery that inhabits a special place in the history of Korean ceramics.

In his moon jars, however, the decorative process is slowed to a serenely meditative pace. Scratched and splattered slip-marks echo dappled moonlight between woodland trees; blushes of peach and cream-white reflect the luminescence of a full-moon in the early evening sky.

Both quiet and vital, powerful and with presence, Lee’s moon jars are the intimate results of his search for a beautiful life.

Masterclass | Throwing and Decorating Small Bowls

lkh small bowl slate jpg webp Masterclass | Throwing and Decorating Small Bowls Punch'ong

Watch top Korean potter, Lee Kang-hyo, throwing small bowls on the wheel in his studio. Lee has previously talked about how, when throwing bowls, he tries to touch the clay for the least amount of time possible. He then decorates them using the ancient Korean method of white slip applied with a brush, known as Guiyal. He finishes by comparing the freshly decorated bowls with ones that have already been fired.

Documentary | Lee Kang-hyo | Onggi Master

documentary lee kang hyo onggi m jpg webp Documentary | Lee Kang-hyo | Onggi Master Punch'ong

Our documentary tells the story of one of the most respected Korean potters, Lee Kang-hyo and his search for a beautiful life, through his work with clay and the love of his family. Set against the backdrop of his South Korean studio, it gives an insight into the spiritual journey that plays a vital part in his artistic practice.

Lee is world-famous for mastering the traditional Korean technique called Onggi – a technique that allows him to make enormous, often man-sized pots. Watch him constructing three of these giant Onggi pots over a five-day period, culminating in an exciting explosion of glaze and colour as Lee sets about decorating them in his inimitable fashion.

Exhibition | Phil Rogers | Earthly Matters

phil rogers ex jpg webp Exhibition | Phil Rogers | Earthly Matters Punch'ong

Phil Rogers, one of the outstanding British potters of his generation, exhibited at Goldmark Gallery from 16 May 2020. This was the 5th major exhibition of his work at Goldmark and each show has built on the success of the one before. Goldmark was closed because of the Coronavirus however the exhibition was available virtually to the public with an online tour and new films featuring both an interview with Rogers and footage of him at work. The exhibition saw the publication of a new catalogue written by the Rev. Richard Coles, Vicar of Finedon, former member of 1980s pop group The Communards and presenter of Radio 4 programme Saturday Live. The film shows the culmination of an extraordinary career in ceramics by a potter who forged his own path pushing the boundaries of the traditions he was rooted in.