With artists Seong-Il Hong & Hye-Jin Lee

& tea director Lim Boeun

To initiate the start of their exhibition with Flow, South Korean potters Seong-Il Hong & Hye-Jin Lee lead a Korean tea tasting featuring their handmade made tea ware.

Seong-Il and his wife Hye-Jin are based in Boseong in the south-west of S. Korea, where most of the country’s tea is grown. The studio they run together looks out onto the local valley and tea plantations. They bought local teas as well, water and ingredients to recreate at Flow the feeling their home and studio.

Beauty in Everyday Moments

 “Unlike pure art, crafts serve as a medium for communication, enabling people to connect with one another. I discovered that teawares, in particular, are captivating because they allow individuals to enjoy a more leisurely and beautiful aesthetic experience in their daily lives.

While there are mass-produced wares that are widely used, the world of art I pursue focuses on creating delicate and intricate pieces with more care. I want those who view my work to find their own aesthetic sense and meaning in it, allowing the pieces to remain significant in their lives for a long time. 

Bridging the gap between “good-looking” pottery and “good-to-use” pottery, teaware is a craft that neither overflows nor excludes its functional or aesthetic elements, but is special to everyone. This balance is at the heart of my creations.

This is my approach to creating pottery, and I hope that those who encounter my work will feel its essence. As the saying goes, ‘Big changes start from small things,’ I will continue to strive to create works that remain a friendly presence in our ever-changing lives.”

- Seong-Il Hong

Videography by @monstar.play

Photography by @monstar.play & Isobel Napier