흙의 중심과 춤추다, 김혜정 [크리틱]

Kim Hyejeong, a ceramicist based in Korea, discovered a unique perspective on her craft while working in a ceramic studio nestled in the Bukhan Valley of North Korea. In an interview with Incheon University's student newspaper, she shared her fascination with ceramics as the embodiment of once-living organisms. The studio was located in a region recently struck by drought, which had made the groundwater even more precious.

Despite the arid conditions, the rain that eventually fell created a sweet melody in the valley. The studio, converted from a villa, was situated in a cool, slightly damp environment, filled with spinning wheels, drying racks, pottery wheels, kilns, and a variety of glazes. Kim referred to himself as a "clay farmer," as the art of ceramics was deeply intertwined with agriculture, with each seasonal change affecting the clay's consistency and the artist's approach to working with it.

This connection to clay began in her childhood, when she spent her days playing and creating games in the forest, without the aid of playground equipment. She dedicated herself to ceramics in college, pursuing the elusive goal of creating a perfectly balanced vessel. After 10 years of relentless practice and earning her doctorate, she finally achieved this goal in her 30s.

However, her journey took an unexpected turn after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster and tsunami. The artist found himself questioning the very essence of beauty and harmony he had sought to achieve through his work. As he stood in front of his completed ceramics, reminiscent of a devastated village, he was moved to recreate the scene of destruction through his art, portraying the shattered fragments of broken pottery and the remnants of a destroyed town.

Through this process, Kim came to understand that the flaws and scars left by the tsunami were not to be erased but rather embraced as integral parts of the clay's journey. In the end, the ceramics he crafted were reborn as living entities, each bearing its own scars, memories, and unique center.