The Gallery Art Zone at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul boasts a vast and elegantly curated collection of delicate Korean ceramics designed by renowned and emerging local contemporary artists. The exquisite selection covers examples of traditional craftsmanship and minimalistic innovative designs. Among various unfamiliar names the eye of an art lover will immediately recognize one of the biggest artists in the Korean and international contemporary scene – Lee Ufan. Originally from Korea Lee Ufan became one of the central figures of Mono-ha (The School of Things), a new movement of Japanese art, sculpture and land art in particular, which emerged in the late 1960s. Throughout his work he continued to propose Mono-ha concepts in both artistic production and theoretical practice. Today Lee Ufan is one of the most internationally acclaimed artists in the contemporary art scene. Young Sook Park is one of the most respected Korean ceramics specialists. Her early artistic commitment to the traditions of Korean ceramics craftsmanship and desire to recreate the lost methods and styles of the Chosun Dynasty led her to the establishment of the Park Young Sook Ceramic Studio in 1979.
Lee Ufan and Young Sook Park met by chance in the early 1980s, when Ufan visited Park’s gallery in Korea. He was amazed by her remarkable porcelain and exceptional homage to the traditional pottery making. Lee became Park’s mentor and together they started a long journey of experimenting with aesthetics and artistic languages. The delicate and simply shaped porcelain ware created by Park and decorated with Ufan’s signature minimalist cobalt blue brushstrokes can be enjoyed over a morning coffee or an afternoon tea. The irregular squares of a very recognizable blue tone and calligraphic shape remind of Lee Ufan’s most distinguished paintings admired by art lovers all over the world. And if you don’t feel ready yet to put the precious painting on your walls there is a wonderful opportunity to get a Japanese meditative contemplation experience with these stunning porcelain "things".
We’ve recently found ceramic works of Lee Ufan and Young Sook Park at the stunning Lee Ufan museum on the art island of Naoshima in Japan. Head there to see exquisite selection of works immersed in breathtaking surrounding seascapes and wild tropical forests and don’t forget to check the tiny museum shops for more design treasures.
Lee Ufan exhibition From Point, From Line, From Wind will take place at the London Pace gallery from 15 September to 24 October, 2015.
