Yeesookyung Translated Vase_2020 TVGW 4, 2020
Ceramic shards, epoxy, 24k gold leaf
42 x 35 x 35 cm (16 1/2 x 13 3/4 x 13 3/4 in)
Using a meticulous labor-intensive approach, Yeesookyung's ongoing series, entitled Translated Vase, reconstructs organic, intricate sculptures from discarded ceramic fragments—pieces initially crafted by master ceramists who destroy any vases with even the slightest imperfections. By filling the cracks with 24K gold, playing on the Korean homonym, geum (which means both “crack” and “gold”), the artist revitalizes traditional ceramics with a modern sensibility.
The creation of the works, which range from monumental over-life size accumulations to intimately-scaled fragments, is a hands-on process that follows the body’s natural movement rather than assembling an imagined pre-structured form, allowing each sculpture to evolve organically and take on its own unique shape.
This series was inspired by a 2001 project in Albisola, Italy, where the artist commissioned a local potter unfamiliar with East Asian pottery to create twelve porcelains based on a poem about Korean Joseon-dynasty ceramics. Through this act of translation and cross-cultural exchange, the Translated Vases emerged as hybrid forms, each embodying a unique narrative. Since 2010, Yeesookyung has incorporated not only Korean white vases and celadon but also fragmented North Korean and European ceramics, blending materials and traditions across cultures.
The sculptures are very delicate, especially the gold parts should not be touched.
The creation of the works, which range from monumental over-life size accumulations to intimately-scaled fragments, is a hands-on process that follows the body’s natural movement rather than assembling an imagined pre-structured form, allowing each sculpture to evolve organically and take on its own unique shape.
This series was inspired by a 2001 project in Albisola, Italy, where the artist commissioned a local potter unfamiliar with East Asian pottery to create twelve porcelains based on a poem about Korean Joseon-dynasty ceramics. Through this act of translation and cross-cultural exchange, the Translated Vases emerged as hybrid forms, each embodying a unique narrative. Since 2010, Yeesookyung has incorporated not only Korean white vases and celadon but also fragmented North Korean and European ceramics, blending materials and traditions across cultures.
The sculptures are very delicate, especially the gold parts should not be touched.