“I think of my pieces as life forms in the process of transforming in ways that can be both wondrous and strange,” says artist Janny Baek, whose otherworldly ceramics (formerly) merge vibrant colors, eclectic motifs, and botanical details.
“I incorporated blooming flowers and puffy clouds into my work to reflect on our intimate and complicated relationship with the natural world,” the artist tells Colossal. “Changes in form and color imply tendencies, possibilities, desires. Familiar shapes, such as the open vessel, plant shapes and heads, are a way for me to connect with the line of making and building by hand with clay.”
Baek explores the relationship between nature, science fiction and fantasy in her sculptures, which are often about 30 cm high and wide, but sometimes up to 50 cm high. Some sprout coral-like appendages or appear to stand on four legs.
The artist has concentrated on colored porcelain using the nerikomi technique, which combines multiple pigmented clays to create a marbled or patterned effect. Baek recently started working with rougher, sandy stoneware, which offers more freedom to scale up in size and complexity.
“I like having the freedom to use different materials and ways of making when it suits the work,” says Baek. “Even when I change materials or techniques, I always draw on the most important fundamental ideas that drive my work.”
“Walking Cloudbloom” is included in the Korean International Ceramics Biennale exhibition at the Gyeonggi Museum of Ceramic Design in South Korea. She is also working on a three-person show at ArtYard in Frenchtown, New Jersey, which will open in February. For more information, visit Baek en’s website Instagram.
