Park Jong Il
Korean artist and teaware ceramist. He lives with his family in the mountains and is dedicated to the most widely spread Korean art – teaware.
This ancient discipline enjoys high esteem in Korea. Their teaware is mostly fired in wood furnaces and many people are involved in pottery making. A tradition of hundreds of years has formed a “Korean style” – cups, teapots and bowls are of simple shapes and muted light natural tones of glaze. Some might find them boring or ordinary, but upon closer observation, one can discover fine rustic elegance.
Every piece is thoroughly crafted to perfectly sit on a table or tray, to fit in hand and be pleasant to drink from.
Park Jong Il lives with his family just next to his atelier and furnace (orumgama – wood-firing chambered climbing kiln). His ceramics are rooted in the Korean tradition, but also differ by modern touch and a will to go beyond the borders of what in Korea is recognized as good traditional teaware.
