Shin Sang-ho

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In this Korean name, the family name is Shin.
Dr.
Shin Sang-ho
Born1947
NationalitySouth Korean
SpouseHan Yun-sook
Korean name
Hangul
신상호
Revised RomanizationSin Sangho
McCune–ReischauerSin Sangho
Websitehttp://www.sanghoshin.kr/index.php

Shin Sang-Ho (Korean: 신상호; Hanja: 申相浩; born 1947) is an internationally known Korean ceramicist. His works can be found in museums around the world especially the Shin Sang-ho Art Museum. He is the former Dean, College of Fine Arts at Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea,[1] and former Director of the Clayarch Gimhae Museum.

Career[edit]

Shin Sang-ho was born in an area historically known as Yangju, and now known as Banghak-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul, South Korea. He became interested in ceramics when he was attending classes at Hongik University's Department of Crafts. Rather than going home during a school break, he went to a pottery in Icheon. His parents finally found him there a month later covered in clay and wearing nothing but a shirt.[2]

After graduating from Hongik University in Seoul, Shin began his career by recreating this traditional blue-green celadon as well as buncheong. Shin credits this foundation as the basis of his movement into modern ceramics. “I came to modern times through traditional ceramics."[2]

Dream Series, Buncheong Ware 1991

Starting in 1965 he began submitting his works to both the Korean Commerce and Industry Art Exhibition and Korean Industrial Artists Association Exhibition. He took a bronze medal in 1968.

By at least 1972, Shin was operating his own pottery in Icheon, where he employed and trained other ceramists including Kim Se-yong.[3]

1973 solo exhibitions in Japan including Tokyo, Osaka, Sendai, Yamagata, and Mitsukoshi Department Store where he received an award from the Culture and Information Commissioner. Three-person exhibition in Hamburg Germany.

In the 1970's, Shin began working at a pottery in Fukuoka, Japan after he ran out of money during a trip to the country.[2] The pottery utilized a natural gas fired kiln. This was novel to Shin. Back in Icheon all kilns were laboriously wood fired. Further, potters believed it was the only way to achieve a rich celadon color. To convince himself that celadon wares could be successfully produced within a gas fired kiln, Shin ran some tests in the Japanese pottery. The results were so successful that Shin used the money made in Japan along with additional borrowed funds to purchase a gas fired kiln and shipped it to South Korea.[2]

Shin was expecting a 95% successful firing rate with new his gas kiln, instead of the low successful rate found when utilizing wood firing. However, his initial firings failed to achieve the same celadon color he obtained in Japan. He “tried to commit suicide at that time.”[2] Eventually, he traced the problem to South Korea's natural gas supply. It was not clean enough. He learned to cleanout the nozzles after every firing and installed his own desulphurization system to remove hydrogen sulfide. Shin's success caught the attention of other potteries who hired away his employees in order to learn his methods.[2]

In 1974, he was invited to join 3 other Korean potters in a four person exhibition held at Mitsuha.

In 1978 he received the Chairman's award at Korea's National Folk Art Competition.

In 1979 exhibitions in New York and Washington DC

In 1979 Shin began to 'spy' on the behalf of the South Korean government.[2] This came about when ceramics was selected as 1 of the 10 strategic industries to promote the expansion of trade with other countries. Shin became part of a strategic industry inspection team that traveled internationally to learn how other countries were making ceramic items and bring that technology back to South Korea.

In 1980 exhibitions Boston, University of Southern California, U.C.L.A., and Shinjuku Japan

In 1981 works included in the Korean Contemporary Ceramic Exhibition (New York, Los Angeles, Paris)

In 1982 Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Department Store exhibition in Japan

In 1980's continued experimentation and developing his own particular style of celadon and buncheong ware. He also became a lecturer in the Applied Art Department of Sungshin Women's University and began working as a Professor of Ceramic Art, College of Fine Arts, Hongik University.[4] This position eventually led to him becoming Dean of the College of Fine Arts.[5]

In 1981, South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan traveled to Washington DC to meet President Ronald Reagan for a summit meeting.[6] He brought a moon jar vase made by Shin who was described as being "a leading Korean ceramist".[2][7]

Also in 1981, South Korea was actively trying to counter the influence North Korea established during the 1970's in Africa.[8] South Korea's ambassador to Zaire, Lee Jong-eop, noticed that under the reign of autocratic leader Mobutu Sese Seko, art and culture was given full attention as a part of Zairianisation.[9] Lee came up with the idea of sending an artist from South Korea to meet Mobutu. Which is how Shin Sang-ho eventually found himself in Zaire in front of Mobuto to present him with a 60 cm tall, celadon, openwork vase as a gift.[2] The visit was Shin's first of many visits to Africa.

Display of Dream Series 1991

In 1986 then Korean President Chun Doo-hwan and his wife presented Queen Elizabeth II two of Shin's vases. See External Links below.

After a brief sojourn in London as a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Art (1995–1997) where he was exposed particularly to African art, he returned to Korea with an abruptly different style from the traditional work of his early years, fusing both western and eastern design in his work. The "Dream" series (1995) was one of his first exhibits to gain international recognition,[10] and fused traditional Asian vessel shapes and punch'ong glazes decorated with abstract patterns reminiscent of Asian calligraphy or ink wash paintings. Traveling extensively around the world his later pieces have become increasingly contemporary. His "Dream of Africa" series (2002) fused primitive animal art with modern minimalism.[citation needed]

Clayarch Gimhae Museum with 5000 fired painting tiles by Shin Sang-ho on exterior walls

In the 1990s Shin began developing "fired painting" tiles used as a means to apply ceramic arts to commercial architecture. Over 5,000 fired painting tiles were used on the exterior surface of the Clayarch Gimhae Museum in Gimhae, South Korea, where Shin served as their first Director.[11][12] In 2000, a particularly large installation he created was installed within the overhead covered walkway connecting the Seoul JW Marriott Hotel and the Seoul Central City Express Bus Terminal.

Style[edit]

Many of the living great Korean ceramicists of today resulted from the South Korean government's program in the mid-20th century to rediscover the secrets of ancient Korean celadon ceramics from the Goryeo period, one of the pinnacles of Korean ceramic arts.

Shin Sang-ho's style has evolved over his long career. In part, this is owing to his philosophy not recreating anything he has already made.[13] His style has evolved from traditional celadon Goryeo ware, a more modern take on celadon wares, buncheong wares, to styles that are modern and difficult to be called Korean. This may help account for the fact that Shin is seen as a ‘problematic figure’ in the Korean ceramics world.[2] In Tatsuo Matsuyama's book, Portrait of a Modern Ceramic Artist, Shin was the only Korean ceramist among the 66 who shaped modern ceramics.[14]

Personal life[edit]

Shin Sang-ho is married to Han Yun-sook who made her own line of pottery from porcelain.[13]

Signature[edit]

Joseon Period buncheong bowl similar to reproductions by Shin

When working in celadon, Shin typically signed his works by first engraving his stylized signature in thin clear lines and curves. The engraved area was then filled in with a darker clay before firing. When working in buncheong, Shin typically signed his works with a wider deep engraving that was left unfilled. Many buncheong works are signed near the foot instead of the bottom.

Selected collections[edit]

Shin's work is in the permanent collections of:

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Collections Online | British Museum". www.britishmuseum.org. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ha, Joo-hee (2022-11-29). "Shin Sang-ho, a master representing Korean ceramics "I lived like a crazy person, loving only pottery."한국 도예를 대표하는 거장 신상호". monthly.chosun.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  3. ^ Choi, Seung-hyun. "無心으로 지핀 불가마에서 만다라를 굽다 :: 주간불교 Burning a mandala in a fire kiln made with no intention". m.bulgyonews.co.kr. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  4. ^ 홈페이지, 신상호 공식. "신상호 스튜디오 About Shin Sang-ho". sanghoshin.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  5. ^ "Dr. Shin Sang-Ho (b. 1947) - Vase". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  6. ^ "Seeing human rights in the "proper manner": The Reagan-Chun Summit of February 1981". nsarchive2.gwu.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  7. ^ "Gifts to the President" (PDF). Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
  8. ^ Amstrong, Charles. "Juche and North Korea's Global Aspirations" (PDF). Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
  9. ^ Article, Rebecca Anne Proctor ShareShare This (2022-09-01). "Congo Is in a 'Cultural Crisis.' Here's How Artists, Dealers, and Collectors in the Capital of Kinshasa Are Using Art to Solve the Problem". Artnet News. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
  10. ^ "Ceramics". prezi.com. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  11. ^ "Network | 경기도자미술관". www.gmocca.org (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  12. ^ "흙과 색의 제국 '신상호의 세계'". 행복이 가득한 집 (in Korean). 2010-12-20. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  13. ^ a b Lee, Ji-Hyeon (2010-12-20). "Empire of Earth and Color 'Shin Sang-ho's World '흙과 색의 제국 '신상호의 세계'". 행복이 가득한 집 (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  14. ^ "［商品詳細 現代陶芸家の肖像 (松山龍雄)］阿部出版オンラインショップ". www.abepublishing.co.jp. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  15. ^ Katz, Ellen (2014-07-31). "file under fiber: Everson Museum of Art Syracuse New York". file under fiber. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  16. ^ "Korean Collectors to Expect at the Buzzy Events in Seoul This Week". Larry's List. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  17. ^ Russeth, Andrew (2022-08-25). "South Korean collector Higgin Kim: 'People are genuinely rough. Art works like a tenderiser'". Financial Times. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  18. ^ "LongHouse Reserve". www.lihistoricartistssites.org. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  19. ^ "Korean Ceramic Culture: Legacy of Earth and Fire | Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art". jsma.uoregon.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-11.

External links[edit]

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