Embracing beauty in imperfection

Recently, a visit to a British museum sparked a realization about beauty in imperfection. While admiring the full moon during Chuseok celebrations with family, the observer was struck by the simplicity of a white moon jar displayed among artifacts. This encounter occurred thousands of kilometers away from Korea, yet it profoundly altered their perception of beauty.

As a graduate student at Oxford University, the observer had become an avid museum-goer. Museums held the past in their exhibits, offering glimpses into civilizations separated by time and space. Upon entering a museum, the observer typically spent the initial hours moving through history chronologically before exploring geographic regions worldwide.

With countless treasures to observe, the observer developed a habit of selecting a specific theme for each visit and comparing artifacts from various civilizations to understand how they approached similar forms.

Throughout their museum visits, the observer often focused on pottery and ceramics. By juxtaposing objects from different civilizations, they saw the remarkable craftsmanship and distinct artistic approaches that each culture brought to the same medium. The observer's journey from the British Museum in London to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford reinforced the idea that beauty could be found in the imperfect.