A Moon Jar, 2016

"I try to produce work that needs no addition or subtraction. I wish to create work that has an imposing presence but harmonises with its surroundings regardless of where and when it is displayed. It should give peace of mind and a sense of comfort to all who look at it." Dae-sup Kwon

Originally trained as a painter, Kwon has only produced moon jars since the late 1970s after a defining encounter with a white porcelain moon jar from the Joseon Dynasty at an antique shop in Seoul. Originally made during the 17 and 18th centuries, the shape of the moon is echoed in the spherical form of the work, suggestive of the lunar cycle and the circle of life. The moon jar is a unique product of Korea’s rich ceramic culture with a long, illustrious history and Kwon is considered its latter-day master.
The process behind the moon jars is arduous and complex; the Jar is first thrown in two halves of identical diameter before being blended together as one, before the clay is completely dried. The subsequent firing is often unsuccessful as Moon Jars are prone to cracking during this process due to their size and manufacture. The surface has a milky-white sheen evocative the glow of the full moon in the night sky, as exemplified in the present work, Moon Jar, 2016. Kwon creates only 4 to 6 works a year, the current work being a particularly large example. Despite their seemingly uniform shape, each is a unique study in restrained abstraction. As the artist explains, ‘To appreciate a moon jar properly you should look beyond its simple shape. Although it is a plain porcelain jar, with no decorative elements whatsoever, it will seem different every time you look at it. Depending on the circumstances it will look quite different when you feel good or when you feel gloomy, when the weather is sunny or rainy and cloudy’ (D. Kwon, Op.Cit.)

Moon Jars of this form have also long been revered as a superlative form of object and symbol by Western artists and artisans. The British potter Bernard Leach collected Korean ceramics and furniture and acquired a fine 18th century jar in Seoul in 1935 - one of only 20 examples of its type surviving from the Joseon dynasty - and gave it to the potter Lucie Rie in 1943. She kept it in her studio until her death in 1995 and it is now in the permanent collection of the British Museum.

Another example sold, Christie's, Un/breakable, 2 October 2018, lot 7.