Korean Baekja Porcelain Cup, Cloud-Shaped Openwork Detail
Kiyong Park’s porcelain cup combines the restraint of Korean ceramic tradition with a contemporary sense of proportion and form. A softly rounded bowl rests on a cylindrical foot, creating a silhouette that is both architectural and quietly sculptural.
A particularly distinctive feature is the cloud-shaped openwork detail (구름 투각; gureum tugak) pierced into the foot. This small motif introduces a subtle decorative element while also creating a play of light, shadow, and negative space. The cloud form recalls a familiar motif in Korean visual culture, where clouds have long been associated with auspiciousness, transcendence, and the natural world.
Finished in a soft white glaze, the cup allows its material, profile, and finely controlled details to take precedence. The restrained palette and minimal ornamentation give the piece a calm presence, while the cloud openwork adds a poetic note that connects the contemporary object to a longer Korean decorative tradition.
Dimensions: Ø 2.5" x H 2.5"; holds 75cc
About Kiyong Park: Kiyong Park is a Korean ceramic artist based in Icheon, South Korea, whose work draws from the long history of Korean pottery while maintaining a distinctly contemporary sensibility. His practice is informed by historical forms, particularly Korean white porcelain, which he reinterprets through refined proportions, restrained surfaces, and subtle sculptural details.
Working primarily with functional vessels, Park pays close attention to the relationship between form, use, and material. Cups, bowls, and other tableware are reduced to clear, balanced silhouettes, allowing small shifts in curvature, foot, rim, and surface to become central to the character of each piece.
Park’s ceramics reflect a quiet dialogue between tradition and contemporary making, preserving the simplicity and elegance associated with Korean porcelain while giving familiar forms a renewed and individual presence.
