Yookyoung Yong Ceramics

She discovered clay completely by chance back in 2009, when she was exploring her new city, Vancouver. By chance, when out on a walk, she passed by a small studio offering classes in pottery.

In the beginning it was mostly out of curiosity and excitement of learning something new. She was happy to watch a lump of dirt being transformed and reshaped on the wheel in front of her and at the end of the class a gorgeous vessel with an individuality and life of of it’s own had appeared. It blew her mind away. She was completely, hopelessly hooked and spent the next 3 years at that small studio, learning and creating.

At the heart of her designs lies an idea, conveyed by shape, form and contour with a quiet colour. The only shade being considered is that produced by the object itself. Achromatic shades of light and it’s absence. The contour reveals itself by the presence and absence of material, both of equal importance.

Our everyday life is a compound of private, social and political events. Some are insignificant; some are hard to shake off, leaving a deep mark. Consciously and subconsciously she draw her inspiration from those events and channel them into her work. Her work is her way to connect with the world. Her language is clay. I create words on the potters’ wheel, and then combine and shape her sentences by hand.

She grew up in South Korea, a country still reeling from war. After getting my BA in Buddhism, she spent as much time as possible travelling and ended up living more than a decade in Europe. All this has also inspired her to create simple and quiet forms in clay.

Yookyoung Yong
Vancouver, BC