Korean artists featured in Fall Arts Celebration

ALLENDALE, Mich. -- In Korea, ceramics is the most prestigious art form, drawing from 5,000 years of tradition. Two ceramic artists who enjoy an exceptional reputation for excellence not only in Korea, but worldwide, are featured in an exhibition during Grand Valley State University’s Fall Arts Celebration.

“Separation as Together: Soonjung Hong and Eunmee Lee, Korean Ceramists” opens Tuesday, October 7, with a reception from 5-7 p.m. with the artists in the GVSU Art Gallery, in the Performing Arts Center, on the Allendale Campus. Admission is free and open to the public.

When Grand Valley’s Director of Galleries and Collections Henry Matthews first met the artists, he found them to be instantly likable, very personable and friendly beyond the expectations of formality. The two women live and work together in Heyri, a cultural art village in the Paju province of their native Korea that provides work spaces and housing for select writers, artists, filmmakers, architects and musicians.      

The exhibition, which continues through October 31, will feature new work created by the two women artists while at Grand Valley. Invited for the first GVSU International Ceramic Workshop, the world-renowned artists will have spent six weeks creating, informing and interacting with students, who will also produce work for the exhibition.

The students have been able to observe as well as converse and collaborate with the international artists as they process ideas from conception to completion. Matthews said the artists’ visit will enhance the ceramics program, Art and Design Department, and the entire Grand Valley community. 

Hong and Lee both earned art degrees from Ehwa Woman’s University in Seoul, Korea, and studied at the Istituto Statale d’Arte per la Ceramica in Faenza, Italy. They have had numerous solo and group exhibitions in Korea, Europe and the U.S. 

Each artist takes her own approach. Hong likes to work in multiples and creates pieces with intricate detail, while Lee often creates installations, which are sometimes room-size. Both are renowned for their fine craftsmanship and blending of ancient techniques with new influences and innovative methods.

For more information contact Henry Matthews at (616) 331-2563.