ArchiveCeramics
Coiled and Pinched – Ceramic Vessels by Korean Artist Kiho Kang
South Korean Artist Kiho Kang creates these fantastic looking vessels by coiling and pinching clay, working on them in stages to create striking geometric forms that have an architectural quality.
Archive image update: The current photographs show documented 2014 works in place of the original selection described in 2015.
Clay or any material with similar properties has the benefits of being easily manipulated. Stone or wood is a lot tougher which requires a different way of working. You can’t really add to either, where as with clay you can both add and subtract and alter it in an immediate way.
Korean ceramicist Kiho Kang shows us that you don’t just have to throw on the wheel to make objects from clay. He creates these fantastic looking vessels by coiling and pinching, working on them in stages to create geometric forms. He says that he prefers this process because it gives him more chance to express himself, working slowly and deliberately gives them a special quality.
I was especially drawn in by the matte and unglazed exterior, and for tableware these have real architectural quality about them, which is probably thanks to the added texture on the surface from his pinching technique. The original selection featured his then-recent works from 2015, but you should definitely go to his portfolio to see other pieces from previous years. He’s very talented indeed and they look just as striking whether solo or grouped together. Enjoy.
