Space Cottonseed is proud to present BOUNDLESS SEAS: BADA, a group exhibition of contemporary ceramics and sculptures by five Korean artists: BADA Aterlier, Songjoon Han, Heami Lee, Heseong Lee and Hunchung Lee. The exhibition will present sculptural ceramics, as well as ceramics for everyday use such as cups and plates. As such, artists in the exhibition aim to explore bring art into daily life, and blurring the distinction between art and products.
Korea, as a country, has had a very long history of producing pottery and porcelain. With a more established history, current artists find it more difficult to overcome their precedents. Today many Korean ceramists investigate diverse ways of interpreting traditional ceramics as a contemporary art medium. The artists in the exhibition BOUNDLESS SEAS: BADA showcase how contemporary ceramics have been developed with the mindset of erasing the boundaries between art and products, surmounting the idea of handicraft.
A leading artist of the exhibition, Hunchung Lee is one of the most well established ceramists in Korea. Lee has been exploring and expanding new phases of traditional ceramics into contemporary art not only as a ceramist, but also as a sculptor. Lee makes use of architectural mediums such as concrete as well as various found objects in his artistic practices, creating his unique world of art and crossing over the boundaries between art and design. In this exhibition, Hunchung Lee will introduce his series of works titled Moon Jar, a contemporary interpretation of traditional Korean porcelain. Lee also has developed a new genre of furniture that combines concrete, ceramics and found objects. It was successfully received at the Basel Design Fair and so far Lee has been appraised as one of the most innovative ceramists in Korea.
Along with Lee’s works, BADA Aterlier will present a series of design products that blur the boundaries between products and artworks. BADA, meaing the Ocean, is a group of designers and artists who collaborate to explore the possibilities and limits of ceramics, working on projects that transcend the idea of arts and craftsmanship. Songjoon Han is a sculptor who is an idea generator for ceramists and designers with artistic inspiration. He investigates space itself through his series of sculptural works; how the works engage with space to create spatial experiences that evolve around the work, forming relationships with light and shadow. Hoseung Lee is a graphic designer, however as a product designer, he presents a series of funny lamps in the show. Flipping over the conventional idea of lamps, Lee applies a sea-saw system to a lamp. Users can enjoy the humor of the product design, as well as its initial function as a lamp. Lastly, Heami Lee creates a whimsical environment with installing ceramic products for everyday life. When plates, cups and bowls are placed together, they are no longer products but turn out to be a medium for art.
The exhibition BOUNDLESS SEAS: BADA will deliver an opportunity for viewers to experience contemporary Korean ceramics and how artists have been practicing within the context of contemporary art and art practices.
The exhibition is kindly supported by The Embassy of the Republic of Korea and Arts Council in Korea.
