Yoo Eui Jeong 《The Baek-Ja 》

WHY VISIT

Ceramic art, considered one of humanity's oldest forms of expression, embodies the symbolic language and imaginative structures refined through history. As the artist notes, ceramics have reflected their time's philosophy, aesthetics, lifestyles, and trends through color, shape, and pattern. Yoo Eui-jeong focuses on this inherent nature of ceramics, creating works with a hybrid temporality. One of Yoo's signature techniques involves allowing glaze to drip over white porcelain and layering it with iconic imagery from both the past and present. The way the glaze's form fades and distorts as it flows downward symbolizes the evolving cultural symbols shaped by the passage of time. In this exhibition, Yoo Eui-jeong draws inspiration from Baekja, which reached its zenith during the Joseon Dynasty, presenting works that reflect contemporary relevance. White porcelain, originally a symbol of the royal court's dignity, also became widely cherished by commoners for its simplicity, with blue-and-white porcelain and iron-painted porcelain dominating different social strata. Yoo experiments with how baekja, imbued with such historical context, can manifest in meaningful ways from a modern perspective.