The Resonance of Breath,” an exhibition by Jin Ok Ye is about connection, celebration and sharing. By creating ceramic vessels, Jin Ok Ye’s theme is much more than the materiality of a pot, a pearlescent vase, a delicate cup. Inherent in these containers is a whisper of reverence, a hint of sensuality and partaking of a tea ceremony. In the Korean tea ceremony, or “the taking of tea,” there’s a certain etiquette. It is meditative, the thousand year old tradition focused on relaxation and mindfulness.
In this exhibition, Ye’s tea ceremony is also about sharing and honoring our connection to each other. Her artworks are presented in various ways, such as displaying the tea vessels in layered clusters on small round or hexagonal tables mounted to the wall. Presenting them in this manner is an abstraction, an unexpected point of view, such as The Empress’s Tea Party, with its elegant purples and blacks. Another piece, titled Fiesta, is on a clear glass table of moon white jars with gold markings.
And The Table For You has a grouping of ivory vases with fewer gold pieces yet is graceful in its simplicity as if it is for our own daily table.
These were presented during the Winter holidays and felt festive and welcoming. A favorite work at one prominent corner of the gallery was a chandelier of smaller ceramic vessels in celadon and soft blues called The Resonance of One. Glass crystals and sparkling necklaces greeted the light with joy. Ye also had vases encrusted with a cascade of white flowers with gold accents. These feminine works were luxurious and textural. In Breath of Blue, six robin’s egg blue pots are lined up casually. These have the same grace as a haiku, or a simple prayer. Ye incorporates short poems about her work such as: “The Banquet, in thoughts of the one I hold dear, I gather my whole heart and offer this quiet devotion.”
The materiality and physical beauty of Jin Ok Ye’s art are symbols of a deep and refined sensibility. She has the voice of poetry in her art. Presently, Tiffany’s in New York City has a group of her robin’s egg blue bowls displayed on the 10th floor. G&S
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