Yikyung Kim

1935 Korea

Yikyung Kim is one of the best known Korean ceramicists.
She studied in Korea and the US and, partly stimulated by her teacher Bernard Leach, has taken her inspiration from the rich Korean ceramic tradition.
An important theme in her work is her interest in the Confucianist rituals, where ceramic objects play an important role. For this reason she chooses the "feet" of her objects with care. Objects with a high foot play a role in ancestor worship, while those with a low foot are meant for daily use.
She also creates utensils, like boxes, candle-holders and plates, in which she again starts from traditional Korean forms, but adds her own accents.
Since the eighties she adds subtle geometric patterns to some objects, and she uses a black glazing which sharply contrasts with the whites in her work. All in all Yikyng Kim has succeeded in adding her own forms and inspiration to traditional Korean forms, so that her work has acquired its own, unique character.