Ceramist Seo Dong-hee to Hold 50th Anniversary Contemporary Ceramic Art Exhibition from the 22nd
- Input
- 2025-10-15 15:26:31
- Updated
- 2025-10-15 15:26:31
"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the Tree of Life and may go through the gates into the city." (Book of Revelation 22:14)
Seo Dong-hee, honorary professor at Konkuk University and a ceramist who has shaped biblical messages in clay, marks 50 years since beginning her work in Contemporary Ceramic Art. Starting on the 22nd, she will present a ceramics exhibition themed 'Tree of Life' at the Bible Ceramic Art Museum in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.
Professor Seo stated, "This year marks the 50th anniversary since I began my research in Contemporary Ceramic Art at the University of Kansas (KU) with the support of the Korean-American Educational Commission (KAEC)." She added, "To commemorate this milestone, the exhibition features new works, including pieces inspired by the Tree of Life from the Book of Revelation."
The 'Tree of Life' (2025) that Professor Seo presents at this exhibition is actually her fifth work under the same title. The first 'Tree of Life' was created using her signature slicing technique, where she cuts clay blocks with wire. This piece was first unveiled at the 221 Gallery New York in 2004 and received high praise from local critics.
The second 'Tree of Life' was exhibited the following year at an invitational show at Tong-in Gallery in New York, while the third piece was displayed at Tong-in Gallery in Seoul that same year. The fourth work was showcased at the Bible Ceramic Art Museum from 2023 to 2024. Art critic Glenn Brown, who attended the exhibition, remarked, "Seo Dong-hee's dynamic works evoke the spirit of Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuși."
Professor Seo explained, "This fifth 'Tree of Life' is also created using the slicing technique of cutting clay blocks with wire." She continued, "This piece, inspired by Book of Revelation chapter 22 and Genesis chapter 3, embodies the message of moving toward eternal life, a gift from the Creator God."
The ceramics exhibition themed 'Tree of Life' will conclude its first phase on December 22, with a second phase scheduled to continue from January 12 next year.
