Jinsong Kim

I produce one-of-a-kind pieces for major art collectors. All of my work is thrown on a potters wheel. The designs I carve will reflect what I see as the soul of the vessel. Much of my work is geometric and complex in design. This reflects the true nature of mankind, beautiful but complex. I use calipers and a compass to lay out the variety of patterns that I see in each vessel. After the pattern is all laid out I cut the negative spaces with handmade tools that are designed specifically for what I do. After this many things are done...bands added or sections carved away. Final touches – such as dots – are added to finish the piece. All of the work is slowly raku fired and cooled down slowly in the kiln. The work is then taken out of the kiln while very hot and placed in a garbage can with paper. The pot makes a fire and it will be smothered with the cover and smoked to give it the crackle look and the black color.

My work is thrown on a potter's wheel. I use white stoneware clay with little grog. A piece may take an hour to complete as I do no trimming. I believe the pot will reflect its true shape and identity when thrown without trimming. The pot is then ready to come alive, to develop its own personality. The design I carve reflects what I see as the vessel's soul. My designs are geometric and complex – as the nature of mankind is both beautiful but complex. I use caliper and compass to lay out the varied patterns. The caliper measures spaces. The compass draws circles. The measurements must be exact; an error of one millimeter will compound itself as each row of the pattern progresses. When the pattern is laid out, I cut the negative spaces with handmade tools designed specifically for this purpose. After this many things are done ... sections are carved away, bands, dots, and other finishing touches are added. The work is slowly raku fired in a kiln. It is then removed from the kiln while very hot and placed in a garbage can filled with paper. The pot ignites the paper and makes a fire that is immediately smothered - the smoke to gives each pot a unique blackened, crackled look.