Choi Young-Wook: Moon Jar Reimagined
Soluna Fine Art
4 days left
Choi Young-Wook’s artistic practice is inherently distinctive. Central to his oeuvre is a singular subject of the traditional white porcelain object celebrated since Korea’s Joseon Dynasty: the Moon Jar. Rather than sculpting with a potter’s wheel, Choi employs a hyperrealistic painting technique to depict these vessels, capturing even the most minute cracks and textures of a white glaze finish.
“[Moon Jar] speaks little yet holds much inside. It appears irresistibly simple, yet intensely sophisticated and refined.”
What was a serendipitous encounter with a Moon Jar during a leisurely visit in the Korean section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art has now profoundly influenced Choi’s artistic journey, culminating in his all encompassing series “Karma”, which he has been developing for nearly two decades.
Drawing inspiration from traditional Confucian beliefs, Choi’s works engage in a profound retelling of the human experience. The artist utilizes pure white to embody subtle yet resonant emotions, layering this with various hues of milk, gray, and light pastels to achieve depth and dimensionality on a flat canvas.
Images: Courtesy of Felix Wong (@asia_art_hopper)
Choi's painting process begins with a white canvas, where he sketches a Moon Jar from imagination rather than replicating a still life. To prepare the canvas, Choi mixes gesso with stone powder, applying three to four thin layers to establish texture. He then sprays water and uses sandpaper to refine the surface, repeating this procedure nearly a hundred times, gradually building up thickness. This approach contributes to the visual depth and texture of the Moon Jar in his work.
Choi’s Moon Jars feature fractured patterns that are symbolic of individual personal experiences. He likens these fractures to the life stories and memories we carry with us — reminders of our past that reflect the ways we navigate and embrace life’s joys and sorrows.
Choi consistently blurs the boundaries between his art and life philosophy. The essence of his work mirrors his life’s aspiration: “I want to live like a Moon Jar. A life that is not easily shaken by the trivial things of the world, but is rounded, understanding, and embracing.”
Images: Courtesy of Felix Wong (@asia_art_hopper)
Artist Biography
Choi Young-Wook (b. 1964) graduated from Hongik University in Seoul with a B.F.A. in Painting and an M.F.A. Over the past decade, Choi has devoted his efforts to mastering a hyperrealistic rendition of the moon jar as an art form. Choi’s works are featured in both private collections and museums, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gyeonggi Museum of Contemporary Art, among others.
