Shin Sang Ho: Infinite Metamorphoses

Shin Sang Ho (b. 1947) has worked with clay as his primary medium since the 1960s, responding to the changing society and world of art in Korea. Recognized as a leading figure in modern Korean ceramics, Shin has expanded the potential of clay in diverse ways, achieving a high level of craftsmanship. Beginning his career in Icheon in Gyeonggi Province, he operated a traditional wood-fired kiln, gradually extending his practice beyond conventional pottery to embrace sculptural, architectural, and experimental ceramic works. Shin Sang Ho_Infinite Metamorphoses traces the artist’s lifelong process of transformation, deconstructing the forms and meanings of Korean ceramics while establishing new aesthetics. During a time when national identity and cultural values were emphasized, Shin explored his role as both a craftsman and an artisan contributing to the country’s industrial development through traditional ceramics. Around the time of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, amid Korea’s globalization, he decisively moved beyond conventional norms to pioneer a new genre of ceramic sculpture. In the 21st century, a time of increasing hybridity and diversity, Shin further expanded his practice through ceramic installations and ceramic architecture, actively crossing the boundaries between art and architecture. In the 2020s, he returned to clay as a site of reflection and presented a series of ceramic paintings. Throughout his career, Shin has expanded the horizon of contemporary Korean ceramics, sustaining a liberal artistic attitude and a spirit of experimentation that continues to shape his artistic journey. The exhibition consists of five chapters organized in chronological order, introducing the full spectrum of Shin’s ceramic practice from traditional ceramics to ceramic sculpture, architectural ceramics, mixed-media objects, and ceramic painting.