L I N E A G E

Solo Exhibition at Francis Gallery in 2021

3 Fountain Buildings, Bath, Somerset, UK

Lineage is Yoon-Young Hur’s first solo show with Francis Gallery, featuring vessels inspired by traditional Korean forms, as well as organic ceramic sculpture, and canvas works in hanji, gesso, acrylic and glue. “There is multiplicity in the term lineage,” says Hur. “For me, it points to both traditional Korean art and craft, and the modern art movement Dansaekhwa – a distinct heritage that I deeply respect. The term also refers to nature and the environment, which is where the materiality and textural focus of my work stems from.”

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The Moon Cloud series in Lineage diverges from Korean tradition in that the pieces are formed in their entirety using a coiling method, rather than two hemispheres thrown on the wheel and fused in the kiln. “Coiling is an ancient process that is found across various cultures of the world. It has a more primitive and open spirit to it, which I try to express through explorative textures and imperfect forms. I feel it is more natural and honest that way,” says Hur.

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The hanji works are inherently delicate. As Hur explains, this quality of transience is significant to her: “I remember seeing work by the Dansaekhwa artist Yun Hyong-keun for the first time in Venice, alongside something he wrote in his diary: ‘since everything on earth ultimately returns to earth, everything is just a matter of time’. It was such a powerful statement to me. His work acknowledges the impermanence of matter; it reminds us of this ultimate truth. I wish to continue embracing that in my work.” Francis Gallery

Photography by Rich Stapleton