Grace Han: Touch the Conversation - Two Selves

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Grace Han, "Topuch the Conversation," 2019

Closing reception: November 23, 2019 from 2-4pm.

East meets West.

Old meets new.

Strength meets delicacy.

In two separate but related solo exhibitions at Medalta, artist Grace Han synthesizes these contrasting forces. Viewers are invited to “touch the conversation” by interacting directly with the work in both exhibitions.

Artist Statement

The main concept of my work is to express my feeling of being between somewhere – as a newcomer from Asia, as a person who has a slight physical frame but who holds an unseen boldness inside of her, and as a traditionally trained ceramic artist who is now trying to embrace her originality.

I create large scale works with groggy red clay to express my boldness. At the same time, I also create  finely detailed work from porcelain that looks very fragile and elegant next to the rough red clay. These contrasting forms reflect the juxtaposition of boldness  and softness that also resides within me.

I use traditional techniques such as throwing large pieces on a traditional kick wheel and making large slabs on the floor, both of which require tremendous physical work. By tiring my body, I can let go of the negative emotion and frustration that has built-up inside of me from the struggles I face between two cultures and two languages. Then I sit down and produce hundreds or thousands of small objects to process my thoughts that were scattered around.

By doing all of the above, I create my own language with clay where I hope the audience can experience my story.

During this exhibition, Touch the Conversation – Betweeness, viewers are invited to touch the pieces to feel my true-self and to re-place small porcelain objects to make their own patterns in the gallery space. I see this direct interaction between the works – which I’ve fully put myself into – and the audience as a way of having an authentic conversation without words.

Artist Biography

Grace Han

Grace Han is a ceramic artist originally trained in Seoul, South Korea. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Dankook University where she specialized in traditional Korean Ceramic techniques and skills. She then worked for several years in one of the largest ceramic companies in Korea and built on her ceramics knowledge and experience outside of academia. She immigrated to Canada in 2011 and received her Master of Fine Arts from University of Manitoba. Now she is pursuing her career as a ceramic artist in Canada – her new home.