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]
Dr. Shin Sang-ho | |
---|---|
Born | 1947 |
Nationality | South Korean |
Spouse | Han Yun-sook |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 신상호 |
Revised Romanization | Sin Sangho |
McCune–Reischauer | Sin Sangho |
Website | http://www.sanghoshin.kr/index.php |
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]
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 invested in a gas fired kiln and brought it back with him to South Korea.[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 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 Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Hongik University.[4]
In 1983, Shin was recognized as "a leading Korean ceramist" when a work of his was presented to President Ronald Reagan during his State Visit to South Korea.[2][5]
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,[6] 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]
In the 1990s Shin began developing "fired painting" tiles used as a means to apply ceramic arts to commercial architecture. His fired painting tiles were used as the exterior surface to the Clayarch Gimhae Museum in South Korea, where he is currently their Director.[7] 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.
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.[8] 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.[9]
Shin Sang-ho is married to Han Yun-sook who made her own line of pottery from porcelain.[8]
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.
Shin's work is in the permanent collections of: