Landscape of the Heart

Sung Jae Choi

Porcelain

13 in H x 9.25 x 4.75

Written Signature and Makers Stamp (on box lid)

Created to celebrate The Clay Studio's 50th Anniversary, this elegant porcelain bottle by Sung Jae Choi was featured in the 2024 exhibition, 50 Years in the Making, honoring the artists who have shaped the organization's remarkable legacy.

Known for his refined forms and masterful restraint, Choi transforms porcelain into a quiet meditation on beauty, balance, and gesture. Soft, expressive brushwork glides across the pristine white surface, creating a composition that is both minimalist and deeply evocative. The vessel's understated elegance invites contemplation, rewarding viewers with new subtleties in line, texture, and form.

Both a significant commemorative work and a striking example of contemporary ceramic artistry, this porcelain bottle is a meaningful addition to any collection and a lasting tribute to five decades of creativity at The Clay Studio.

Choi's Reflections on his time at The Clay Studio:

As a ceramic artist who studied pottery in Korea, I spent a long time as a resident and guest artist in Canada and the U.S. for over two years and I completed that journey at The Clay Studio. I worked passionately as a guest artist and made experimental and challenging works on the theme of human social relationships. Jimmy Clark was the director at that time, and not only was he a passionate mentor, but he also provided support for the creation of my work and helped me live in Philadelphia. I also remember encountering a variety of excellent contemporary ceramic works artists at the Clay Studio 20th Anniversary Exhibition. Now, more than 30 years later, the time spent at The Clay Studio still gives me inspiration and a new perspective on the development of the world of my work.

Artist Biography

Sung-Jae Choi earned his BFA and MFA from Hongik University, Seoul, Korea. He is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics, and is currently a professor at the Korean National University. Choi's artwork is held in collections around the world, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Sung-Jae Choi was a Guest Artist at The Clay Studio in 1993.

Choi makes vessels in the Korean tradition of 'buncheong ware.' He uses a painterly style to evoke his interpretation of Korean aesthetics. Choi's work combines traditional Korean 'punch'ong' techniques of white slip decoration with contemporary drawn decoration.

Artist Statement

The expression of my Buncheong ceramics is based on that of grayish-blue powdered celadons that were made with white clay and red stoneware clay, which was manufactured in Korea in the 16th century, leading to its maximization of modern pictorial ceramics. This method is focused on applying white slips to the surface of a vessel to maximize its pictorial elements, expressed in the process of applying white clay slip to the surface of a vessel with rough brushes, hands or tree branches. As for the shapes, flat square vessels or round jars are favored. It aims to express the traces of impromptu passing actions conducted by an artist as well as abstraction and contemplative landscape of a comfortable mind reminiscent of the natural image.

• All winning bids are paid in full before artwork leaves The Clay Studio.
• Winning Bids are automatically billed at the close of the Auction at 12:00 pm on September 27th 2026.
• Shipping is NOT included in the winning bid.
• Items can be packed and shipped, and the winner will pay the cost.
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