Moon Kyung Kim believes that she has yet more stories to tell. Growing up moulding ceramics with her mother, the Korean-born artist designed her first pottery series during university, and wondered what stories could she tell as an artist after moving to Canada.
“With each piece I make, I thrive to showcase a bit of my Korean heritage,” shares Kim.
She started with pieces that are familiar to Canadian households, including coffee mugs and butter dishes. Kim decorates them with traditional Korean patterns.
Influenced by the naturalistic simplicity, Kim loves portraying East Asian flowers like lotus and orchids on ceramics. “They symbolize good fortune, prosperity, good health and happiness,” explains the artist. For Kim, having these symbols around her in the studio makes her feel the most at home.
Now calling Edmonton home, Kim fell in love with the camping season and released a mountain-themed ceramics series featuring mugs, vases and ornaments. She loves to tell stories of Korean deities from folklore, and believes there will be be more designs to come from her days in the mountains. After all, isn’t storytelling one of the best ways to keep one’s memories alive?
Shop Korean-inspired ceramic arts at MoonK Studio. The holiday ornaments are now available online and at the Wholly Handmade craft fair.
This content was produced to support the Edmonton Made community. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Edify staff.
