Sangwoo Kim
Curriculum Vitae
Born in South Korea in 1980.
2004 : Bachelor Art & Craft, Chonnam National University (KR)
2014: Master of Ceramic Art, Seoul National University (KR)
Got to know his wife and moved to Switzerland where he was introduced to the world of sculptural ceramics. Found inspiration in the beautiful round polished river boulders surrounding the studio on the Swiss hill.
Since 2016, he lives and works in France in the Bourgogne.
Has exhibited extensively since 2007 in various European countries, USA and South Korea and his work is part of numerous collections.
Exhibits in leading galleries in France, Switzerland, Korea and NY.
He has won many first prizes in competitions and exhibitions.
Inspiration
" In Korea, I had experience of physical labour and technical practice in a local pottery, where I made the traditional Korean Onggi or large storage jars for 2-3 years. To this day, I use this skill in my ceramic sculptures and remain inspired by the round shape, the symbol of nature's ideal being.
The pieces I form are pure and simple forms. It is a slight modification of the simple and round form.
Even though they may look too ordinary, I think round things have the power to give imagination and emotion to human beings, without limitation like spring water always comes from the ground. It is a subject with the ability to express eternal beauty. The round shape contains the charm of the person who made it, depending on how the shape is handled.
I am inspired by the forms and colours of nature.
In nature, the colours are not made up of pure red, yellow or blue. Every colour is made of combinations. In my work I express this natural feeling with different layers of colours. Colours are always a mix of colours, and depending on how they are layered they change. Thus I play with the order and thickness of colour layers to create deep colours.
Nature is smooth and round and also gives me an infinity of forms. By accumulating dots or lines, a pattern grows on the surface of the pieces that gives a natural sense of movement. Depending on how we look at the pieces, we can discover a river, a field, a forest or a road ".
Sangwoo Kim
(De kleine K - No 77 - May 2021)
Sangwoo Kim evokes a mysterious atmosphere with his work, which stems from his amazement at the world around him: the red branches of a pine tree, the whistling of a bulging bird, the drifting of misty clouds across the blue sky, a carved stone staircase or an almost dry, slow-flowing river. He incorporates these impressions in his fluently rounded sculptures.
Technique
Sangwoo uses porcelain and chamotte stoneware as materials.
The pieces are made with rollers or slabs and the relief applied with wooden tools and fingers.
He then applies several layers of coloured slips and fires them all at once to a temperature of 1240°C.
Finally, he grinds and polishes the pieces after firing and does not use a glaze.
Through this process, he discovers patterns and colours that are hidden under the surface, so that the pattern appears on the surface and then becomes smooth and shiny, which fascinates our eyes but also invites us to touch the pieces.
