Black, the Eternal Color Created by the Alchemist of Earth and Fire, Kim Sy-young

An Artist Creating Eternity with Earth and Fire

Clay plays a crucial part in making porcelain. Similar to making other pottery, Kim Sy-young went through countless trials and errors as he studied various clays for months. He even tested clay he acquired from Annapurna during his trekking trip. The conclusion he came to was that he could make black porcelain with any type of clay. He realized that the ability to create a “treasure” was not far from him.

“Fire is more important than clay. Baking black pottery in a 1,300 °C kiln is like painting on a canvas. Fire plays a major role in the process.”

Black porcelain is baked at a higher temperature than celadon or white porcelain, and the patterns found on black porcelain differ according to the length of time it is exposed to fire. “That is the magic of a potter,” says Kim. That is why a potter is a magician who can handle fire. With tenacity and passion, Kim was chosen as the Gyeonggi Eutteumi for the first time in 1999, a title given to the best master in one’s field. Now he makes atypically shaped ceramics including those that look misshapen or melted. He says he was able to challenge existing ideas thanks to the support of his two daughters who became potters like him.

“To me, black porcelain represents eternity. Since I am not an eternal being, I want to make something that can last forever. I really want to make an earthenware that can move the hearts of people. I want to share the clean energy generated from my work with others.”

Kim dreams about eternity since he knows that nothing lasts forever. This makes his passion and dedication even more valuable.

You said fire is more important than earth. How did you find the right temperature, etc., for black porcelain?

Controlling temperatures was the hardest part. I lighted the kiln once every other day to find out how temperature affects the color and pattern of black porcelain. I stay overnight right next to the kilns for over 200 days in a year, that is more than 2,000 times over the past 10 years. Through this process I gradually learned the effects of temperature and baking hours on black porcelain. Usually, celadon and white pottery are baked at 1,250-1,260°C, and 1,270-1,280°C, respectively. However, the temperature used for black porcelain need to go above 1,300°C, sometimes even 1,500°C. I frequently try to bake black pottery under extremely high temperatures to create artware that have endured harsh conditions. Some say I mastered how to control the temperature, but I haven’t. I feel my techniques regress back 10 or 20 years, if I stop practicing for just a month. That is why I cannot stop practicing.

Nowadays, you are creating works with irregular patterns and shapes. What made you explore further beyond the restoration of traditional black porcelain?

In the past I only focused on reproducing the tradition of Korean black porcelain. In 2010 when I was preparing for my solo exhibition, I made a moon jar by separately shaping the upper and lower parts then attaching and baking them in the kiln. Through this process, a new shape and a new balance point were created. Once I experienced this, I wanted to try something new outside the traditional methods of baking pottery. For instance, I shaped clay in a weightless state as if I were on the moon, or I mixed clay and wheat flour as if to bake bread. I continued these experiments because they were fun. Since that time, I have become free from formalities. I shifted my style to mainly abstract art three years ago. I still make tea cups and I love my previous work of course, but nowadays I enjoy creating artwork in a more free form. I personally think that black porcelain should be developed and not adhere to a standard format, plus my customers love that my work is not standard. My goal is to be called an artist of earth and fire, rather than a ceramic artist.

What do you think is the value and merit of black porcelain as a cultural tourism content?

Black pottery has potential as a cultural tourism content, since many people are interested in it as they visit my gallery to see my black porcelains. They also appreciate the beauty of black porcelain as they enjoy tea in the gallery, which is a cultural experience. Several foreigners visit my gallery and they are quite impressed by the beauty of Korean arts and culture. When the Winter Olympic Games were held in Pyeongchang, representatives from 10 major Japanese tourist agencies visited the gallery, and three of them said Nogo Gallery was the best. I think people love to experience unique Korean culture as well as Korean artwork. In 1999, I was chosen as the Gyeonggi Eutteumi (a title given to the best master in one’s field) for the first time among pottery artists. I believe that black porcelain, which has become a representative artwork of Hongcheon, contributes to promoting the region. I would like to create true works of art that can be recognized around the world, in order to further increase the value of black porcelain.