Making Cuts & Overlapping – Minimal Porcelain Vessels by Bomi Lee
It’s quite easy to assume that works made of clay are usually produced on the potter’s wheel, but actually a large percentage are constructed using a number of lesser-known methods. I recently acquired an old book that offers step-by-step instructions on how to use these techniques to create sculptures and more, I was quite surprised by a few of the methods used and it inspired me to experiment with them myself.
One of the most basic ways to construct something is by rolling and cutting out slabs of clay and then joining them together. South Korean artist Bomi Lee shows how this is done quite expertly, most of the photos seen here are from her series “Making Cuts” which are porcelain vessels cut in rectangular and hexagonal forms joined by overlapping. Depending on the angle and where they overlap various forms are possible and light can hit the surface in unique ways.
What’s quite obvious to me is her need to produce something functional. All of these seem to be rooted in the fact that they could hold flowers, tea, or other liquids. but then you have a sculptural elements due to the way that they’re produced and their geometric shaping. Overall I think it’s a fantastic mix of work that’s rooted in the functional ware of Korea’s past, mixed with something more modern (what came out of the Bauhaus as an example). This makes sense considering she currently resides in Berlin. Hopefully you like these and will view more on her website below, she’s certainly one to watch.