New Buncheong

K. Charm Design presents New Buncheong, a style of ceramic decoration that combines traditional and historic forms of ceramics created in Korea but incorporates modern and contextual motifs, as well as exploratory techniques.  

Traditional Buncheong (Punchong) wares were prevalent on the South Korean peninsula prior to the dominance of white porcelains from China. The style is characterised by a white slip (watered down white clay) painted onto a darker clay body. There are seven different types of techniques that were used to decorate the forms.  Buncheong, as a cultural form died out in Korea when white porcelains from China began to dominate the visual landscape, and emerged as the pinnacle of ceramics. 

As an artist, Ki Charm Kim enjoys the rustic strokes and lines found found in one of the seven styles of ceramic decoration that are part of Buncheong Wares. This form, Guial (goo-e-al), involves roughly painting white slip over a darker clay body.  

However, Ki Charm also likes to combine several of the techniques including Bakji  or, sgraffito - which is removing the painted white slip using a small loop tool. This allows the darker clay body to show through.  Using a combination of both the bakji and guial techniques, K. Charm creates new forms and shapes.  With the addition of color not seen in traditional Buncheong wares, K. Charm often uses the painted strokes as a canvas to "paint" onto. 

Another of New Buncheong's themes includes the use of the California Poppy. As a motif tied to location, contextual influences are important to the design house.  Using gold leaf decor, this addition of a precious material also brings this artform into modernity.