JANI Studios
As an artist I create works to tell a narrative, share my memories, and express collective feelings; As a ceramicist I create works based on my love for simple forms, function, and the aesthetics of the natural world. JANI Studios is my way of finding the necessary balance between the two worlds of being both a practicing artist and traditional ceramicist, while still remaining true to myself. My hope in creating JANI Studios is not to sell a lot of pieces or become famous, but rather to sell few pieces that friends, family, and strangers alike will come to value and cherish.
Artist Statement
Perhaps an unusual way to view dirt, a once delicate and malleable material shows that within itself, under correct conditions, it too can become strong.
Clay as a material is an extension of self and body; Like the body of a child, clay can be altered based on the way in which it is raised and the environment it is put into. Consequently, I find myself drawn to traditional forms: minimal, functional, and asymmetric, as well as their counterparts of damaged, broken, and experimental. During my studies in Icheon, South Korea I learned the traditional practice of Onggi. When coiled and gently molded, onggi jars can stand taller than their creator. However, if coiled improperly or roughly beaten, like a child, the jar will crumble under its own weight. Like humans, pots can be physically fragile when they are beaten or mishandled and intangibly imbued with the raw emotions that were impressed upon them in their upbringing. Part of my work addresses the global problem of sexual assault and admitting “me too”. However, it also exposes the idea that there is intimacy between family, friends, lovers and strangers; how those intimate connections also help form the entire picture of the physical and nonphysical bodies we call home.
I use red rope to tell three narratives, allowing the viewer to decide which story they want to see. The first story is one of fate and those destined to be intertwined over lifetimes. After my dad passed away, I was reminded this story was not only meant for lovers but for souls destined to be together again. I hope viewers feel a sense of comfort knowing that although the person they are tied to may not be physically next to them, through these ropes they will always be connected. The second story is the bounds of judgement from the assimilating society that we live within. Reclaiming sexual desires to break free from the taboos that surround them, rope-play and ties are an open invitation to explore your own desires. The third story is the constraint I face as a white American artist practicing Korean traditions; what that means in todays world of cultural appreciation versus appropriation. My teachers said “use the traditions how they fit into your work”; accepting their blessing, rope is used as a metaphor, breaking the tightly woven bounds of traditions that are not mine.
Like the ropes that intertwine the physical bodies, I weave memories into my vessels. I use photographs as a portal to incorporate varying emotional attachments to certain places, people, or times. Furthering the narrative, I use impressions of peach pits as a homage to childhood summers and sharing peaches with my mother. Using a singular pit gives a sense of self and individuality to each work. A reminder that some things are better left unknown, fortune cookies are a tribute to my late father. Representing a decision to reveal the truth regardless of outcome or the idea that ignorance is bliss.