Porcelain has generally been considered as a slightly more difficult medium to work with as compared to stoneware so it takes quite a bit of work to find makers who work with porcelain predominantly. So when we first saw the instagram feed of Korean pottery brand, Now Ceramics, we were drawn to it from the get go! The clever use of such vibrant colours for his porcelain cups and the differing colours for the handles create such a striking visual appeal that we just could not resist.
We dropped a DM and the next thing we knew, we were in Now Ceramics' studio in Suncheon, South Korea (it all escalated pretty quickly) ! We had a quick tour of the studio and sat down with potter Kim Young-wook, the hands behind Now Ceramics, to learn more about the brand.
Located just beside a main road, the cafe and studio are run singlehandedly by Kim himself!
Tell us a little bit more about your relationship with ceramics.
My journey with ceramics started way back when I was 17 years old when I decided to pick up pottery during high school. Truthfully, I started because of my parents' recommendations, but looking back, I think it's a good choice because I love it.
His lovely working studio was filled with lots of light!
What made you like pottery so much?
I just like to work with clay! Clay is such a versatile medium - it is able to give off different vibes depending on how you work it and its composition. Also, as it is vitrified at a high temperature of 1250℃, the end product might be so different from what you envisioned initially. It makes the whole process exciting and nerve-wrecking !
It may be weird to some but I actually like semi-dry pottery more than finished dry pottery!
We've noticed that all your tableware lines are all wheel-thrown.
Indeed, I like wheel-throwing a lot and I dare say that almost all my tableware pieces are wheel-thrown. I like the sleek lines and silhouette that wheel-thrown pieces are able to showcase. It is definitely my favourite method, at least for now!
Your line of coloured porcelain cups are certainly getting a lot of love online! Where do you get your inspiration from?
I actually find inspiration in everyday life. I believe that true creation will come from the repeated tasks you do daily. Even though you may be doing the same process everyday, it is slightly different each and every time. The little changes add up each time until you suddenly have a new product idea.
-
You seem to be single-handedly running the cafe and studio. It must be really hectic juggling the chores of a cafe and the workload of a pottery studio.
Yup currently, I am running the cafe and studio myself. It is still manageable for now as I plan my making schedule in advance so that I can still fulfil orders on time. The cafe side of things is a bit more unpredictable so I always have to make sure that there are sufficient pockets of time interspersed throughout the day.
Shelves in his cafe are filled with his wares too!
However, in terms of day-to-day, I don’t really have a fixed schedule - it depends on which projects are due and which stage I am at. But when work gets a bit mundane, I try to change it up a little by injecting a little bit of fun and creativity into my daily schedule. It is certainly very fulfilling to finally see the end-result after days-long work.
Are there any interesting projects that you would like to try in the future using clay?
Oh definitely, on top of my list would definitely be lights - I would love to try making lights! The subtle effect of lighting from a ceramic lamp/light is so attractive to me.
To finish it off, do you have any advice for new potters?
Have fun! I hope that new potters will continue to have fun while doing pottery - that’s the only way that they can create fun and interesting projects. Don’t worry about the end product first!
Leave a comment