An Exemplary Buncheong Style Tea Bowl by Renowned Artist Min Young Ki

Min Young Ki's work is mind blowing. It has been featured in such famous international art galleries as the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada, the Smithsonian Museum in the USA, and the Royal de Mariemont in Belgium just to name a few.

This bowl sits in an old traditional Korean house- a natural place to savour its beauty.

The form is so natural that it fails to capture ones attention as it modestly takes a back seat to magnificent color and texture. Because one doesn't notice its form, one really notices its form.

Inside the shallow of this bowl, reddish brown colour connects this piece to its material- the clay. As ones vision climbs from the bowls shallow up the side wall, the earthy reddish colour fades to a natural blue hued grey. Bursting pebbles penetrate blue in a spectacular contrast of colour leaving behind light orange blotches outlined in red-orange. This effect is also seen on the outside wall of the bowl. Placing this bowl in both hands and rotating it gracefully as per ceremonial etiquette, creates a wonderful panorama of flowers blossoming before the eyes.

There is continuity between the colour and pattern of the inside and outside of this bowl. There is contrast in the texture. The inside shallow is heavily glossed, the outside bottom is uncut and rough, exposing the rugged clay beneath. The sensory receptors of the fingers and hands truly appreciate this contrast, which sharply divide top from bottom.

The roughness of this uncovered clay reaches its zenith in this bowls foot, as does its beauty. Particularly, the center, reveals a low angled mountain of natural rugged symmetry, a mini Fuji.

Peace