Thank you to our 2024 Gallery Sponsors, Slifer Smith & Frampton and FirstBank!
ARTIST STATEMENT
My life has been filled with constant dislocation and relocation. I have many homes but not one that helps me feel wholeheartedly grounded and as though I belong both physically and emotionally. Through my practice and handcrafted objects, I create a mental and physical space in which my objects can comfortably stay present in the contemporary while paying tribute to my cultural heritage that I hold dear. Naturally, Traditional Korean Ceramics has become my most prominent interest and focus of research.
Historical Korean Pottery is an elegant depiction of beauty while at the same time, it remains unpretentious and modest which reflects the makers and their attitude toward their objects. I attempt to practice and embody such virtue in my studio by adapting materials, techniques, and methods through which I can connect with my cultural heritage and artistically embrace my longing for belonging. Throughout the past several years, I have immersed myself in wheel-throwing in porcelain and most recently with thin coil-built forms. My coiled forms are a physical conceptualization of Korean Ceramics; especially that of Moon Jars (Dal Hangari, the traditional Korean ceramics originating from the Joseon Dynasty). While directly referencing the forms of various historical Moon Jars, my objects take on variations that emerge from the lines and curves I observe from many other historical artifacts present in traditional ceramics of Korea.
By taking a purist approach to color, form, and configuration, I allow the essence of clay to remain the emphasis of my work. Through my profound interaction with the materials, I have learned that the challenging qualities which come with working with clay, when overcome, eventually highlight both elegance and subtlety. As I remove myself from the wheel and transition to coil-building, I am able to explore new qualities of clay through rather unusual construction methods. Using especially thin coils in my process, allows me to control many physical qualities such as weight, size, thickness, form and time. The more control I can achieve, the more balanced and refined the objects become. The more time spent on each work, the more sincere and alive they become as my energy and focus migrate throughout. I intentionally preserve the seams formed between each coil, representing endurance and acceptance between the clay and myself as the maker. Each coil must shoulder the weight of subsequent coils that pile on top of one another. When these coil-constructed objects reach structural and aesthetic balance, I consider the forms complete. These objects serve as metaphorical vessel that contains my cultural background, personal memories and the profound emotions accumulated along the coils and facades.
Volume 1: Reshaping Roots
A Solo Exhibition by Joanne Seongweon Lee
Exhibition generously sponsored by Angela Bruno & Greg McClain
On display in the CCC Gallery
January 16th - February 23rd, 2024
First Friday Reception Event
February 2nd | 6-8PM
Originally from South Korea, Joanne is currently at Anderson Ranch Arts Center as the Ceramics Coordinator.
"I intentionally preserve the seams formed between each coil, representing endurance and acceptance between the clay and myself as the maker."
BIOGRAPHY
Originally from South Korea, Joanne Seongweon Lee received her BFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University with a concentration in Ceramics in 2015. After graduation, she returned to South Korea for an Artist in Residence Program at the Korea Ceramics Foundation: Icheon Cerapia. She completed an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2019 and achieved the Franz Rising Star Project Scholarship: Outstanding Performance in Porcelain Design in that same year. After graduating, she finished her Residency at Sonoma Ceramics in Sonoma, California. 2021-2022, Joanne taught at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Currently, Joanne is at Anderson Ranch Arts Center as the Ceramics Coordinator in Snowmass Village, Colorado.
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