The broken vessels springing hope
- SaeRi uses ceramics to express trauma and hope from her own life experiences
- Her approach is to destroy traditional forms of pottery to mirror escape from traditional social pressure
- Her work balances Korean tradition with contemporary themes of self-discovery and self-love
SaeRi Seo transforms traditional Korean ceramics into powerful expressions of personal and societal trauma. Through her unique process of crafting and then deliberately destroying ceramic vessels, she illustrates breaking free from oppressive social norms and the 'good child syndrome'. Her work features delicate iris flowers nestled within the broken layers, representing hope emerging from pain. By balancing destruction and beauty, tradition and modernity, SaeRi creates pieces that resonate with anyone carrying emotional burdens, aiming to evoke empathy rather than merely expose injustice. Her journey through art reflects an ongoing process of self-discovery and healing, as she grapples with the duality of conformity and rebellion in Korean society.
INTERVIEW
I wanted to create work that evokes empathy rather than exposure. I also wanted my work to comfort not just women, but all people who carry pain in their hearts. I hope that simply seeing and feeling my pieces can provide a small consolation to them. I think this is the difference between my work and traditional ceramics of the past, which had predetermined uses.
The destroyed parts represent my efforts to break free from the oppression of the 'good child syndrome'. By meticulously crafting pieces in the form of traditional Korean ceramics and then destroying parts of them, I aimed to resolve the trauma formed by the influence of Korean society and culture. The iris flower symbolises hope.
Ceramics are only completed when fired at high temperatures. However, sudden heat can actually destroy clay forms. In the process of destroying the ceramics, if I remain in control of the destruction then the trauma cannot be completely resolved. Fire is something I cannot control, and its accidental and powerful force is what gave me catharsis.
Another important theme in my work is duality. The internal conflict when creating works is between the desire to 'be a good person' and 'be a person who is not good'. I think this conflict will be resolved when I can love myself completely without being conscious of others' views. I believe that working based on my own story is the most original approach I can have.
