Since returning from my recent trip to Korea for the 2015 International Ceramics Festival I have shown a few people this movie featuring five of the ceramic masters from Icheon City. The title 'Ceramic Master' is an honourable title given to an artist who has dedicated their life to their craft and spends their time making...'Masterpieces'. 

I was lucky enough to spend two weeks with these artists during the workshop that I attended in Korea and since returning home I have been enjoying trying out some of the techniques that they showed me. I have a long way to go yet, years in fact until I could expect to have skills like this and be making my very own 'Masterpieces' but for now I am happy just to have met them.

Take five minutes, turn up the music and enjoy this amazing movie that will inspire you to get creative today!

Overseas adventures always change the traveller in some way and I believe this is one of the main reasons to travel. I have been home in Australia for a week after my recent trip to Korea to attend the Icheon International Ceramics Festival. It was an amazing experience and I walk away from it 'changed' to say the least. For the first few days of being home I was totally exhausted, purely from the fact that my brain was completely overloaded with inspiration...what a great thing!

One of the trips highlights for me was connecting and becoming friends with a massive group of like minded artists who live scattered across the entire globe, all of which I hope to see again! The conversations that I had with many of these people will always be remembered, some of which have been responsible for shifts in both my attitude towards and understanding of 'Art' and in particular ceramics. 

One conversation in particular was with a Malaysian artist, Yeow Seng Cheah. Yeow Seng makes beautiful works and has a vast amount of knowledge and experience with ceramics and other mediums. We were in one of the many art galleries we visited together and discussed the issue of 'The Artists Statement'. Yeow Seng believes that an artworks' title alone should speak for the artwork enough so as an artists statement should not be required to 'explain' the content or meaning behind a work? This was a new idea to me as I have always used everyone of my available 150 words in an artists statement. It got me thinking though. 

I decided to look through the 100's of photo's I had taken of artworks on my trip and pick the work that did this best and really spoke for itself with no explanation needed. What do you think? Find out more about the artist Tsang Johnson on his website.

I have seen this technique used in the past by potters but have never actually been shown the exact way to do it. As with most outcomes in ceramics there are probably many techniques that can be used but this is one extremely effective way to create outstanding texture on the outside of vessels.

I'm not going to give away all of Kwak Kyung-Tae's secrets as I haven't even had the chance to try the technique out for myself yet, but what I will tell you is that the type of clay you use is critical. During the international workshop in Icheon we have used about five different types of clay including porcelain, celadon, onngi clay and a couple of others. Of these there were only two types that could be stretched from the inside out using this technique without tearing. As you can imagine the pressure you use is absolutely critical given that you are not throwing against a finger on the outside of pot as you would normally do.

I am really looking forward to getting home and trailing a few of the local Australian clays to see how they go. As you can see from these couple of photos the results are outstanding when the technique works.

See more of Kwak Kyung-Tae's beautiful ceramics on his website -  http://www.torooshop.co.kr

As part of the 2015 Icheon International Ceramics Festival and International Ceramics Workshop over the last two weeks, we were given the opportunity to work alongside some of Korea's most respected master potters. This week I was lucky enough to spend a few hours in a workshop with Korean Master potter Lee Huang Gu. He demonstrated his 40 years experience in making the perfect teapot and all eyes and ears were focused on his workmanship and tips.

Throwing off the mound, he quickly made all of the various components required for a tea pot; the body, lid, spout, handle and tea bowls and once they were dry enough to turn he assembled them into a few beautiful teapots. It was truly amazing to watch and I am so inspired to get back into my studio again and have a go at making his style of teapot.

In planning my trip to Korea I had every intention of doing daily blog updates, social media posts and website updates...it hasn't happened though and this is down to just one thing - The Korean's sure know how to have a good time. Every waking minute has been enjoyed, mostly eating actually (they love to eat!), but managing to make a few pots in between the regular feasts.

We have now finished the product phase of the workshop and are heading off to the kiln site this morning to start loading the large four chamber kiln which we will light tonight and fire for the next three days. There has been some amazing works made and it has been truly inspiration to be surrounded by and working beside such amazing artists.  To have someone of such skill as a Korean Master Potter looking over your shoulder as you are on the wheel, softly offering advice here and there is awesome and I'll come away from here a changed person as a result.

These are just a few of the artists I have spent the week with.
 

Today I spent the day wandering around the streets of Seoul's very impressive arts districts, Insa-dong & Bukchon. It's amazing and the investment in the arts here is unimaginable. It helps to have the headquarters of Hyundai Motor company situated right amongst it and a CEO who's wife is a (very) big supporter of the arts.

I saw so much in one day and went to so many amazing galleries but I have decided to tell you about one thing only and that's this installation by artist Leandro Erlich called 'Port of Reflections'. It is the best example I have seen to date of an artists use of perspective to play on the human eye. 

Amazing... here's the link to his website. Check it out for yourself.

When I was packing up to leave home for this trip to Korea my mind was going over the things I was hoping to come away with at the end. One of my key goals was that I was really hoping to expand my knowledge on 'Tea Culture' and also the actual making of teapots. So it was fairly fitting that I had stepped no more than 50m from my hotel in Seoul this morning when I spotted this poster advertising the Korean Tea Centre, currently hosting an exhibition of Korea's finest tea ware. The gallery was directly next door to my hotel and so I had to go in of course, and ended up drinking tea with the students who were curating the exhibition. It was great to hear their passion about the tea ware that they make and also their incredible respect for the masters who they had their works exhibited alongside. Here's a few snap shots of some of the works. Enjoy.

After a very difficult month in the wake of cyclone Marcia wiping out our community and my livelihood, a very bright light has appeared at the end of the tunnel. Yesterday I received the exciting news that unbeknown to me I was nominated & then invited to be one of 14 ceramic artists internationally to attend an international skill building workshop as part of the 2015 Gyeonggi International Ceramics Biennale in Korea. (Last year the event had 400 000 visitors!)

I am honoured and humbled to be offered this opportunity and it's something that I simply cannot pass up. It also presents a massive challenge to me as like so many others the cyclone has eaten up all of my savings and shut down my income with my folks gallery still closed for business. I am left with the challenge of raising funds quickly as I would have to fly out in just 4 weeks! 

And so here's my good idea...to make some good pots and sell them cheap to all of you good people...What do you think?