Icheon is known as a center of Korean ceramic manufacturing and designated as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities of Crafts & Folk Arts. Gyeonggi-do operates policies that support the cultural industry and artist
History of Korean Ceramics
Ancient Korean pottery – such as clay pots and earthenware –
uncovered from various sites can be traced back to the Icheon City region of
Gyeonggi-do. This proves that Icheon has a long history of ceramic production.
Many potters ceramic artisans have moved to Icheon over the years since it is
geographically close to Seoul and renowned as a ceramics region.
However, as plastics became more popular, demand for ceramics
decreased and many pottery kilns closed one by one.
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| Korean pottery developed a distinct style of its own |
After the Korea-Japan Agreement was signed in 1965 and
Japanese were allowed to visit Korea, the demand for traditional ceramics
surged again. Kilns were established and the production of pottery was renewed,
reviving the industry.
Since then, Icheon City has become a major producer of traditional
Korean ceramics. When the Korean Traditional Ceramics Association was
established in April 1981, a more organized framework for activity promotion
was set up with annual exhibitions for its members so as to further expand the
base of ceramics.
The Icheon Ceramics Association was launched in April 1995
with the goal of internationalizing the Icheon Ceramics Festival, which began
in September 1987, as well as developing the Korean ceramics industry. These
efforts ensured that the Icheon Ceramics Festival could inform people at home
and abroad about the history and traditions of Icheon ceramic culture.
Icheon Ceramics Village
If you are interested in learning more about ceramics,
particularly Korean ceramics, there is a place in Icheon where you can learn
about the cultural aspects of Korean pottery. The defining colors and shapes
used in Korean pottery portray the different styles and techniques of
successive Korean dynasties.
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| South Korea's biggest crafts village - Ye's Park in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
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Ye’s Park is an arts and crafts village in Korea where over
300 ceramic, craft, art, and music workshops and cafes have congregated. It’s
an extremely large area where you can explore galleries and cafes, and many of
these places have both exterior and interior displays.
The word “Ye” means “art” in the Chinese characters
traditionally used in Korea, and thus this area is a park for art. It is a
space where people can express themselves through pottery, artworks and crafts,
while also educating others. Many of these places sell handmade ceramics, and
many also offer pottery classes! You can search for options online and then
make a reservation in advance. There may be a queue if you choose to go without
a reservation. You can also choose to do it alone or with guidance from an
expert.
Ceramic Theme Park - Icheon Cerapia
Incheon Ceramic Utopia – also known as Cerapia – is a
family-friendly theme park. The main attraction, the Icheon World Ceramic
Center, has a collection of over 2,000 modern ceramic works and exhibits
ceramic pieces from all around the world. In addition, it is an integrated
cultural space where visitors can observe, enjoy hands-on experiences, and
communicate with artists directly.
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| Cerapia is an exhibition center of contemporary ceramic works in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do |
In May 2019, through the creation of the World Ceramic Center
International Exchange Plaza, Icheon Cerapia was transformed into a ceramic hub
with comprehensive amenities through which ceramic artisans from around the
world can interact with each other.
There is also a ceramics experience center in Yeoju City as
well as a ceramics park in Gwangju City, which are located within a 30-minute
drive of Icheon Cerapia.
Gyeonggi-do Support for the Ceramic Industry
Gyeonggi-do is doing its utmost to support local traditional
and cultural industries. One of these support initiatives is K-Ceramic, an
online ceramics catalog. The Korean Ceramics Foundation launched K-Ceramic and
hosts a representative product contest in which exemplary artisans and items
are selected through internal and external screenings.
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| KOCEF(Korea Ceramics Foundation) launched K-Ceramic | ⓒ GYEONGGI PROVINCE |
Benefits for participants range from overseas promotion,
export consultation and support, overseas merchandising, and exhibition
priority opportunities. K-Ceramic ensures that Korean ceramics are represented
abroad among other Korean cultural contents such as K-Pop and K-Beauty.
This online catalog was designed to highlight highly
competitive Korean ceramics that represent the country in the ceramics category
and introduce these items to overseas buyers with strong purchasing power,
thereby developing a ceramic market and securing a strong foothold in the
ceramic export industry.
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| Gyeonggi-do support ceramic artists in Icheon |
Another way Gyeonggi-do is protecting the ceramic industry is
through a group of 63 students referred to as the ‘Ceramic Keepers’. A ceremony
was held for the launch of the Ceramic Keepers on July 23, 2019, at Icheon
Cerapia. These students are undergraduate and graduate students in ceramics,
design and other art-related majors. Their mission is to protect ceramic
designs and to implement measures to prevent art theft so as to maintain
fairness within the ceramic industry of the region. From the months of August
to December, they hold anti-theft campaigns while investigating ceramic product
design in major markets, shops, and online malls.
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