Jinsik Yoo

Artist’s Statement

I make figurative and abstract forms that function as records of the present. Through the manipulation of clay, I create abstracted versions of the human form. Bent, wavy clay slabs are layered, implying bodily gestures and representing a wide array of emotional states. The abstracted elements of my clay figures create voids, allowing for many viewpoints, interpretations, and differing perspectives. In these forms, I capture a realistic portrayal of what it means to be a layered, complex individual.

I see and understand people as huge entities beyond their physical appearance. Valuable identifiers like feelings, ideals, beliefs, and complex narratives from life experiences inform who we are. There is so much beneath the surface of the form. For a long time, I suppressed my queer identity out of fear, so much so that it began to feel insignificant. Through my engagement with the human figure, I have been able to give meaning to that suppressed side of myself.

Installed on a pedestal and placed under lights, the abstract human figure becomes an object to be looked at. The figure is only a stand-in for the actual being, existing as an aesthetic tool for the restoration of a complex, broad humanity. My sculptures can exist as the last piece of the puzzle that doesn’t seem to fit anywhere, instead advancing towards its own category. 

Ambiguity or uncertainty can generate unease. In my creative process, my animal nature invents categories based on a supposed clarity of language and sustains the belief that all information can be neatly classified. This methodology can be very convenient and also violent at the same time. I see the various conflicts, discriminations, and hatred that our generation is experiencing as a result of this process of endless categorization. Language will never be a suitable tool for explaining uncertainty as it relies on certainty and security for the economic benefit of the majority. For this reason, I believe art can play a more expansive role. 

Ambiguity is often unexplainable using only written language, and for that reason I want to record it as art and commemorate it. In my work, I hope to position ambiguity positively. A true look at my own weaknesses, and imperfections can be very uncomfortable, but ultimately necessary for the expansion of my creative practice. 

Biography

Jinsik Yoo is a figurative ceramic sculptor and painter from Daejon, South Korea. He received his BFA in graphic design from Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea. He then worked as a graphic designer for 3 years before returning to Konkuk University as a special graduate student studying ceramics. Yoo then moved to the United States in 2017 to pursue his MFA at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He has exhibited and presented nationally and internationally. His studio practice involves translating photographs into paintings, which are then spliced and reassembled into three dimensional forms.

Education
2019

MFA, Ceramics, Alfred University, Alfred, New York

Education
2016

Special Student (Graduate Level), Ceramic art, Konkuk University

Education
2012

BFA, Communication/Graphic Design, Konkuk University, Seoul, S. Korea

Professional Experience
2022

Adjunct professor, Ceramics I, New York University, New York, NY

Resident Artist, The clay studio, Philadelphia, PA

Instructor, hand building, The clay studio, Philadelphia, PA

Professional Experience
2021

NCECA’s Emerging Artists Fellowship program

Ceramic Fabrication Assistant, Simone Leigh Studio LLC., 2020-present

Professional Experience
2020

Instructor, Decorative Tile, Wellsville Creative Art Center, Wellsville, NY

Resident Artist, Wellsville Creative Art Center, Wellsville, NY

Professional Experience
2019

Resident Artist, Wellsville Creative Art Center, Wellsville, NY

Teaching Assistant for Kahling Irving (Wheel Throwing), Alfred University, Alfred, NY

Professional Experience
2018

Teaching Assistant for Linda Sormin (Junior Ceramic Sculpture), Alfred University, Alfred, NY

Glaze lab Technician for Alfred University Ceramic Summer School, Alfred University, Alfred, NY

Teaching Assistant for Shawn Murrey (Sophomore Wheel Throwing), Alfred University, Alfred, NY

Professional Experience
2017

Teaching Assistant for John Gill (Sculpture Foundations), Alfred University, Alfred, NY

Instructor, Big data and social marketing-graphic design class, Job academy (Ministry of Employment and Labor & Human Resources Development Service of Korea)

Professional Experience
2016

Trophy Design and Production(Ceramics), 3rd Wildflower Film Awards, South Korea

Professional Experience
2015

Trophy Design and Production(Ceramics), 2nd Wildflower Film Awards, South Korea

Professional Experience
2014

Trophy Design and Production(Ceramics), 1st Wildflower Film Awards, South Korea

Professional Experience
2012

The Chairman Of The Committee, The graduation exhibition of communication design department, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea

Professional Experience
2011

Graphic designer, 2011 FW(Textile design), M.L.B Korea

Professional Experience
2007

Graphic design, 2007 Color Design Expo in COEX, main booth

Promotional production, I.D.T.C (International Design Trend Center), South Korea

Presentations, Talks, Panels and Workshops
2024

Visiting Artist, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK – April 2024 (forthcoming)

Presentations, Talks, Panels and Workshops
2023

Instructor, summer workshop: hand building, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass Village, CO

Presentations, Talks, Panels and Workshops
2021

2021 NCECA Emerging Artists presentation, NCECA Virtual conference

Presentations, Talks, Panels and Workshops
2019

Artist presentation, Wellsville Creative Art Center, Wellsville, NY

Clay as Foundation, Museum of Modern Art of Medellin, Colombia

Clay as Foundation, Museum of Arqueology, Bogota, Colombia

Presentations, Talks, Panels and Workshops
2018

10th Ceramic Forum, Grand Valley State University, MI

Artist presentation, Alfred University Ceramic Summer School, Alfred University, Alfred, NY

Exhibitions
2023

2023 “500 Degrees” NCECA – Cincinnati Art Academy, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Exhibitions
2022

2022 “Dirty work” Jane Hartsook Gallery, New York, NY.
2022 Ceramics Synthesized Blumenfield Projects, Santa Monica, CA.

Exhibitions
2021

In the woods, Private studio Brooklyn, NY

“Lions, Tigers & Bears, OH MY!”, Trackside Studio Ceramic Art Gallery, Spokane, WA

Cluster, Ohio University, virtual group show

Convene, Eutectic gallery, Portland, OR

NCECA, Grand Valley Forum, virtual group show

NCECA, Emerging artist show, Eutectic gallery, Portland, OR

Exhibitions
2020

The Clay Studio National 2020, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA

WCAC resident artists show, Wellsville Creative Art Center, Wellsville, NY

Mirror-man, Wellsville Creative Art Center, Wellsville, NY

Exhibitions
2019

Juried Clay National V, Red Lodge Clay Center, Red Lodge, MT

Gestures, Fosdick‐Nelson Gallery, Alfred, NY

Kilns of Alfred: Transactions with Fire, Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred, NY

Exhibitions
2018

Trestle Draw, National Council of Education for the Ceramic Arts, NCECA Concurrent Exhibition, Pittsburgh, PA.

Small Scale Bake Shale, NCECA Concurrent Exhibition, Pittsburgh, PA.

Exhibitions
2016

Konkuk Ceramic Art Exhibition, KCDF (Korea Craft & Design Foundation), 1 gallery, Seoul, South Korea

Exhibitions
2014

Art and Crafts Show, Create Space Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Exhibitions
2010

823 Illustration Group Exhibition, Multi Art Space Ga-Hwa, Seoul, South Korea

Ga-Hwa Drawing Project 2010, Multi Art Space Ga-Hwa, Seoul, South Korea

Award and Public Collections
2021

2021 NCECA’s Emerging Artists Fellowship program

Award and Public Collections
2019

Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred, NY

Museum of Modern Art of Medellin, Colombia

Award and Public Collections
2014

A Participation Prize, The 50Th National Competition, Korean Industrial Artists’ Association

A Juried PRIZE, The 2014 Korean Ceramics Competition, Incheon City cultural association

A Juried Prize, The 33rd Seoul Modern Ceramics Competiton, Seoul Sinmoon Newspaper Co., Ltd


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(S_035)
unbidden roses,
2023
2023,
Glazed ceramics,
19 x 11 x 23 in
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(S_030)
A guest at dawn,
2022
2022,
Glazed ceramics,
22 x 11 x 10 in
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(S_034)
last summer, No.08,
2022
2022,
Glazed ceramics,
7 x 8.5 x 3 in
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(S_033)
Last summer No. 04,
2022
2022,
Glazed ceramics,
7 x 8.5 x 3 in
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(S_032)
Last summer No. 09,
2022
2022,
Glazed ceramics,
7 x 8.5 x 3 in
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(S_031)
Last summer No. 02,
2022
2022,
Glazed ceramics,
8.5 x 6.5 x 3 in
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(S_029)
In the woods,
2021
2021,
Fired stoneware, Oil paint,
27.5 x 12 x 10 in
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(S_028)
Gold digger,
2021
2021,
Glazed ceramics,
11 x 6 x 4 in
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(S_027)
Paranoid,
2020
2020,
Glazed ceramics,
9 x 9 x 19 in
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(S_026)
Mr. Bourgeois,
2020
2020,
Glazed ceramics,
10 x 8 x 21 in
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(S_025)
Person sitting on the edge,
2020
2020,
Glazed ceramics,
9 x 11 x 18 in
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(S_024)
Ultramarine,
2020
2020,
Glazed ceramics,
11 x 12 x 21 in
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(S_023)
Under the moon light,
2020
2020,
Glazed ceramics,
10 x 6 x 21 in
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(S_022)
Blue hair,
2020
2020,
Glazed ceramics,
33 x 22 x 15 in
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(S_021)
Yellow shoulder,
2020
2020,
Glazed ceramics,
48 x 20 x 19 in
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(P_008)
Gorilla on the hill,
2020
2020,
Oil on canvas,
30 x 40 in
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(P_007)
Lemon bush,
2020
2020,
Oil on canvas,
30 x 72 in
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(P_006)
Mirror man 001,
2020
2020,
Oil on canvas,
20 x 40 in
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(P_005)
Mirror man 002,
2020
2020,
Oil on canvas,
24 x 18 in
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(P_004)
Mirror man 003,
2020
2020,
Oil on canvas,
24 x 20 in
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(P_003)
Mirror man 004,
2020
2020,
Oil on canvas,
24 x 18 in
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(P_002)
Red lily,
2020
2020,
Oil on canvas,
30 x 40 in
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(P_001)
Waterfall,
2020
2020,
Oil on canvas,
30 x 40 in
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(S_020)
Dance,
2019
2019,
Glazed ceramics,
40 x 10 x 11 in
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(S_019)
Dancer 2,
2019
2019,
Glazed ceramics,
17.5 x 10 x 11 in
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Dancer 3,
2019
2019,
Glazed ceramics,
29 x 20 x 13 in
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(S_017)
Man on the floor,
2019
2019,
Glazed ceramics,
41 x 18 x 20 in
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(S_016)
Man on the hill,
2019
2019,
Glazed ceramics,
52 x 25 x 23 in
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(S_015)
Peach,
2019
2019,
Glazed ceramics,
13 x 8 x 7 in
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(S_014)
Yellow head,
2019
2019,
Glazed ceramics,
67 x 27 x 26 in
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(S_013)
Portrait 1,
2018
2018,
Fired stoneware, Oil paint,
15 x 10 x 11 in
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(S_012)
Sounds of mountain,
2018
2018,
Fired stoneware, Oil paint,
18 x 10 x 17 in
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(S_011)
Three people,
2018
2018,
Fired stoneware, Oil paint,
29 x 23 x 13 in
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(S_010)
Two dancers,
2018
2018,
Fired stoneware, Oil paint,
25 x 17 x 12 in