Han Do-hyun - Icheon Ceramics

Han began his career in 1980 and has exhibited his work in Korea and internationally. His hometown of Icheon has been regarded as the heart of Korean ceramics for over 1,000 years. It is home to over 700 studios including Han’s own HanSugBong studio. Over his career, Han has researched and worked with traditional Korean ceramic techniques and has developed an incredible level of knowledge and skill. His works are all fired in his traditional wood-fired climbing kiln which he has been using for 35 years. This type of multi-chamber kiln is highly efficient in its energy usage but can be particularly temperamental and difficult to control. With each firing, Han considers the weather conditions on the day to decide when best to light the flame and then make real-time observations to manage the kiln throughout the firing. His relationship with the kiln has led him to develop a knowledge of which of the kiln chambers are best suited to different types of porcelain and stoneware, a knowledge which is only achievable through experience and dedication. The failure rate when working in such volatile conditions is high, making the successful pieces even more remarkable. For the works in our exhibition, Han has used a mixture of white porcelain and Jin-sa (red copper glaze) techniques. The white porcelain is inspired by the classic forms of the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties which Han has devoted himself to successfully recreating, while the Jin-sa finishes are created through the unpredictable conditions during the firing process, making the designs unique and impossible to replicate. Also on display will be a film made by Han's team showing the making of some of the works on display at Dorich House. Dorich House Museum is the Grade II listed 1930s former studio home of sculptor Dora Gordine and her husband the Richard Hare, a scholar of Russian art and literature. The house was completed to Gordine's design and houses the largest collection of her works in the world, along with the Hare-Gordine collection of Russian art and artefacts. It is an exceptional example of a modern studio home by a woman artist and, as part of Kingston University, is dedicated to supporting historical research and contemporary practice in the fields of art, architecture and design.