Smim Ceramic
Nayeon Rhee
작가 소개
— Embracing Korean Aesthetics Through the Poetics of Absorption —
This artist explores Korean aesthetics through a painterly and highly atmospheric approach, creating works that gently bridge traditional sensibilities with contemporary ceramic expression. Central to her practice is the Seumigi technique, a distinctive method in which traditional hanji is used as a conduit for pigments. As the colors slowly permeate the hanji and transfer onto the clay body, the material’s inherent textures, fibers, and subtle irregularities emerge as essential elements of the artwork.
Her process foregrounds the beauty of seeping, spreading, and absorbing—qualities deeply tied to the organic behavior of hanji. Through this method, each piece reveals a quiet, layered depth akin to ink paintings, translating Korean visual sentiment into ceramic form.
In the “Mountain” series, torn hanji is used to depict the silhouettes of Korean mountain ridgelines. Pigments are dropped onto the paper and allowed to naturally bleed and settle, resulting in landscapes that appear gently embedded into the surface of the clay.
In the “Iris” series, a flower deeply rooted in Korean emotional culture is reinterpreted through the delicate lines and fibers of hanji, which absorb pigment and leave graceful traces across the ceramic surface.
Across her body of work, the artist transforms clay into a medium of contemplation—one where color is not painted onto the surface but infused into it, echoing the quiet rhythms of nature and the poetic sensibilities of Korean tradition. Through the Seumigi technique, she offers a unique visual language that celebrates the meeting of materiality, atmosphere, and cultural memory.
Main activity genre
Ceramics & Pottery
Category
Craft
ARTWORKS
I create works that reinterpret Korean aesthetics in a painterly way. In particular, through the seumigi technique, I use traditional hanji as a medium for pigment, allowing the material’s inherent properties and textures to emerge.
The “Mountain” series is a tableware set designed for Café Gourmand, inspired by the mountains of Korea. By tearing hanji to depict the ridgelines and dropping pigment onto it so that the color naturally seeps into the clay body, each piece is colored through a gentle, organic process.
I hope you can feel the quiet, serene atmosphere of the mountains through these works.
Production Year: 2025
Production Technique: Slip casting, painting (Sumi-gi technique)
I create works that reinterpret Korean aesthetics in a painterly way. In particular, through the seumigi technique, I use traditional hanji as a medium for pigment, allowing the material’s inherent properties and textures to emerge.
The “Mountain” series is a tableware set designed for Café Gourmand, inspired by the mountains of Korea. By tearing hanji to depict the ridgelines and dropping pigment onto it so that the color naturally seeps into the clay body, each piece is colored through a gentle, organic process.
I hope you can feel the quiet, serene atmosphere of the mountains through these works.
Production Year: 2025
Production Technique: Slip casting, painting (Sumi-gi technique)
I create works that reinterpret Korean aesthetics in a painterly way. In particular, through the seumigi technique, I use traditional hanji as a medium for pigment, allowing the material’s inherent properties and textures to emerge.
The “Mountain” series is a tableware set designed for Café Gourmand, inspired by the mountains of Korea. By tearing hanji to depict the ridgelines and dropping pigment onto it so that the color naturally seeps into the clay body, each piece is colored through a gentle, organic process.
I hope you can feel the quiet, serene atmosphere of the mountains through these works.
Production Year: 2025
Production Technique: Slip casting, painting (Sumi-gi technique)
I create works that reinterpret Korean aesthetics in a painterly way. In particular, through the seumigi technique, I use traditional hanji as a medium for pigment, allowing the material’s inherent properties and textures to emerge.
The “Mountain” series is a tableware set designed for Café Gourmand, inspired by the mountains of Korea. By tearing hanji to depict the ridgelines and dropping pigment onto it so that the color naturally seeps into the clay body, each piece is colored through a gentle, organic process.
I hope you can feel the quiet, serene atmosphere of the mountains through these works.
Production Year: 2025
Production Technique: Slip casting, painting (Sumi-gi technique)
I create works that reinterpret Korean aesthetics in a painterly way. In particular, through the seumigi technique, I use traditional hanji as a medium for pigment, allowing the material’s inherent properties and textures to emerge.
The “Mountain” series is a tableware set designed for Café Gourmand, inspired by the mountains of Korea. By tearing hanji to depict the ridgelines and dropping pigment onto it so that the color naturally seeps into the clay body, each piece is colored through a gentle, organic process.
I hope you can feel the quiet, serene atmosphere of the mountains through these works.
Production Year: 2025
Production Technique: Slip casting, painting (Sumi-gi technique)
I create works that reinterpret Korean aesthetics in a painterly manner. In particular, through the seumigi technique, I use traditional hanji as a medium for pigments, allowing the inherent properties and textures of the material to emerge.
The “Iris” series is inspired by the iris flower, a plant deeply rooted in Korean sentiment. By allowing the lines and fibers of hanji—infused with pigment—to seep naturally onto the ceramic surface, each piece captures the graceful form and sensibility of the iris.
Production Year: 2025
Production Technique: Slip casting, painting (Sumi-gi technique)