Well, looky here. My sister just returned from Singapore with a list of must do’s, as I head over there myself in a few weeks. She brought my attention to an exhibition, featuring artist Yee Sookyung who lives and works in Seoul, Korea. Her recent “Translated Vase” series consist of hundreds of broken pottery fragments discarded by a master Korean ceramicist.
She joins them with an epoxy and covers the epoxy joins with 24k gold leaf powder.
Oh. My.
These works are distinctive in the sense that they allow the viewer to become mindful of notions of the what is highly valued versus what is abandoned, what is historical versus what is modern, and what is art versus what is non-art. I am very much in love with these concepts, especially as the treasure hunter in me zones in on what is highly valued versus what is abandoned.
So, it turns out the exhibition would be over by the time I get there. Boo.
As luck would have it, only to have moved locations from the SAM to the OTA Fine Arts Gallery. The exhibition at the OTA is a solo exhibition of Yee Sookyung’s work.
Winning!
I love Willow pattern, and have great big smiles at the ready for everybody bringing me their broken shards. They cry, I smile. My sister’s massive turkey platter, my mum’s saucers, bowls, plates. I have collected mountains of tiny shards with details of bird’s wings, concentric circles, wispy pieces of willow bough. I find beauty in its simplicity, as well as being a huge fan of white space. You just never can tell how these pieces will break, and they have a habit of breaking naturally in a very aesthetically appealing way.
We are indeed a very ‘dropsy’ family. This serves me well. I grew up eating off Willow pattern and probably spent more time tracing the pattern with my eyes, rather than doing any eating. It is something that instantly reminds me of my original family.
I recently had thoughts of covering a child’s toy – a Vespa style scooter in Willow pattern. I had no idea why this should happen, I just felt it ‘in my waters’. I haven’t quite got enough pieces yet, (keep those breaks a-coming everybody!) Then my sister shoved a SAM program under my nose, and I felt like I had met a kindred spirit when I clapped eyes on Yee Sookyung’s work.
Emily Red Studio 