Bomy Kim
Pymble Ladies' College
WHISPERS FROM MY ANCESTORS
Ceramics
Stoneware, earthenware, wood, video art
My body of work explores themes relating to my Korean heritage. The series of coil-built ceramic vessels that subtly relate to each other is my representation of a family. To link to my surname, Kim, which translates as 'gold', I recontextualised the Japanese technique of kintsugi and repaired my ceramic forms by putting gold leaf in the cracks. I carved wooden paddles with both traditional and current Korean calligraphic characters (Hanja and Hangul) of my family clan name which I used to paddle onto the ceramic forms. This not only represents my family but commemorates my ancestral values and culture.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Kim woochang, Ai Weiwei.
Marker's Commentary
This sustained series of ceramic forms reference an Asian aesthetic, exploring cultural traditions and evoking concepts of family ideals and values through embossed symbols. The four vessels reflect a confidence in the hand building techniques, exploring a variety of scale and forms, enhancing individuality and suggestive of different members of a family. Each functional form emphasises a different natural clay body, with banded surface decoration, overlayed with a thin whitewash, subtly accenting the textural qualities.
The vessels are accompanied by five carefully carved wooden paddles that imply their use in the construction and decorative surface of the pots. The paddles are presented in a Perspex case, elevating the objects from mere tools to items of great significance, and in this mode of display, reference an ancient history through preservation and museology. The inclusion of these paddles further creates a visual reminder of the messages of culture, alluding to the title Whispers from my Ancestors with which the forms have been imprinted. The deliberate overlaying and subsequent pattern making reduces the calligraphic lettering to illegible fragments yet thoughtfully connects cultural traditions and signifies lineage and linking the past with the present.
Imperfections within the vessels are highlighted with the use of gold echoing the process of repairing ceramics through Kintsugi, the traditional Japanese practice of valuing the old and the understanding of the individual.