I was Blue, now I’m Yellow, 2023

Solo Show at Pokettales(KR)

The series of 50 goblets showcased in this exhibition can be seen as three-dimensional paintings, humorously portraying variations of form and color that stem from her personal research. The miniature chair series, which gained recognition in Amsterdam, began with the challenge of creating images using only the fundamental requirements necessary to define a chair. Her humorous solutions were not only evident in the resulting images but also in the process and presentation. Similarly, the goblet series follows a comparable methodology. The artist discovers models that straddle the boundary between form and function, and then presents them in 50 different structures and colors, blurring the lines between the two like a playful game.


Form - Everyday objects accumulated


Drawing is the artist's reason for being and a way she responds to her need to live. The journal drawings mainly feature everyday objects such as chairs, furniture, and lamps. The artist undergoes two processes: transferring the forms that traverse her mind onto paper and then translating them into three-dimensional space in clay. Rather than a rational and systematic mechanism, this can be seen as an emotional and spontaneous act of capturing her current emotions.


Color - Applying picturesque glaze to a solid form


Unregulated serendipity serves as a significant driving force for the artist, a sensation she never experienced in painting. Unlike mixing paint, which offers immediate feedback on color, acquiring the desired color with glaze demands considerable time and effort. Her glaze research project, initiated in 2018 in the Netherlands, continues to this day. This endeavor involves understanding the changes in color and texture resulting from chemical reactions involving mineral powders. Just as mixing paint achieves desired hues, the artist experiments with combinations of glazes to achieve specific colors and textures. The outcomes are showcased through 'swatch' chips fashioned from fabric pattern scraps. The color swatches that adorn her atelier wall serve as both her palette and the product of her research. Typically, the firing process involves a single round of bisque firing and glaze firing. However, Sunwoo repeats glaze firing up to five times, akin to the layering process in paintings. Using glaze to express color on a solid clay canvas is analogous to painting.


Amsterdam - A realm where optimistic imagination thrives


After leaving a job where she was fatigued by endless computer work, Sunwoo stumbled upon carpentry. However, she soon realized that her envisioned creations couldn't be immediately realized in this medium. This realization led her to ceramics, where the process of translating her sketches into reality affirmed clay as her most suitable medium. Her journey from Korea to Amsterdam was prompted by her admiration for Dutch designer "Bertjan Pot" and her curiosity about Dutch education and design styles. Though her major was ceramics, she's not just focused on technical skills; she's striving to create modern and witty ceramic designs that expand the boundaries of traditional ceramics.