There is something askew in Seoul.
Irreverent Forms, a new exhibition that recently opened at the city’s Gladstone Gallery, features three contemporary artists who approach classical forms of ceramics in a deliberately off-kilter manner, as a means of exploring broader changes in South Korean society. Rather than adhering to the perfect symmetry that inspired awe centuries ago, Lee Hun-chung’s moon jars feature warped rims, cracks, and visible mending, making a spectacle of imperfection and — as he sees it — reinvigorating an iconic art form.
“By negating an existing value, a new one can emerge,” Lee told The Korea Times. “So for me, challenging those old, heavy traditions of beauty has opened the door to new possibilities.”