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Upcoming shows

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Pillow-Scape features various stages of my ceramic pillow works; including the use of terra sigillata on surfaces, glazed and sculptural pieces, ceramic balloons, and video projections. My motivation to start making ceramic pillows stems from my interest in how we can perceive things differently. Pillows are domestic objects: soft, warm, plush. They give comfort and are also playfully thrown in pillow fights. My pieces belie the comfortable, easy and conforming softness of pillows. I made ceramic pillows to contradict the approach of stereotypical thinking in general.Another inspiration for my pieces was to explore the unconscious. We put our head on pillows while we sleep. I see a pillow as a metaphor of the inner universe where our unconscious mind lives, a world where our memories and dreams reside. The hollow space inside of the ceramic pillows reminds me of a womb where life is conceived and is nurtured. Also I perceive the same hollow space as a place where life will rest underground. For these reasons I have a special attachment to the void underneath the hard shell of the ceramic pillow as an interpretation of a space of lifes beginning and ending. I like to believe sometimes the time and space between the two voids are dreams.I focused on surfaces with the use of terra sigillata. The glazed pieces with cast objects were made from an intent to with the inside space; as a manifestation of the unconscious mind. The scale relationship between toy sized objects and life size pillows fascinates me to sculpt the stories of dreams. The glazes I used on these pieces are matt finish, trying to save the soft feeling of fabrics.Casting these forms from molds reminds me that our lives have similar beginnings. Our lives come from a mold called the uterus. When we are born from our mothers womb we are anonymous. We are given our names as we start life and we build our identity as we become unique individuals. The forms cast have no names initially, but when I put them together, they become unique pieces. As they develop, I give each of them a title. Every aspect of each pillow-scape suggests emotions: desperate, happy, quiet, anxious, isolation, destruction and creation, scared or just funny. The other form that fascinates me besides the pillow is the balloon, a similar form swollen to contain a soft material. I am interested in capturing the vanity of the soft, puffy, airy balloon in contradicting material hard fired ceramic. I look at balloons as objects with non-substance. I am interested in the bifacial fact that the void exists under the glossy colorful surface of mylar balloons. This puffiness of a balloon is a manifestation of time elements of life; as the air deflates the time disintegrates. It reminds us life is not permanent. In the lustrous colors of ceramic balloons I try to find the truth of life. I add cast objects such as toy trains and broken airplane on top of the balloon pieces to indicate my desire to be someplace else with limitations of reality. Through the metallically glazed balloons and toys I also read the heights of materialism. In our modern society where things are mass produced, we might be concerned with losing individual identity.Video projections on ceramics are the melding of two very different materials, which consists of a moment and an eternity (video and ceramic). They blur the difference between the two temporal states. Is the pillow in its easily torn fabric form more permanent than the ceramic pillows in their breakable shells? I think that eternity exists in fragile moments and in how one perceives these moments.My last pieces I made for this show are concentrated on the essential form of pillows. They are glazed in black, white and metallic. After exploring the allegorical aspect of pillows, I decided to be simple, blunt, honest and minimal. Pillows and balloons are ordinary objects. It provides us comforts and joy but because of this non-provocative nature their significance in subject can be overlooked. Clay is traditionally known as heavy material. Pillows are usually placed on the chair, bed or sofa. By making the ceramic pillows to hang from the wall like paintings, I try to break the norms of our general perception. I discover the philosophy beneath the surfaces of objects and matters, and transform objects into subjects.

If you wish upon a star: ceramic

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Nina Kyungae Jun email : ninajunart1_gmail.com

telephone : 1 714 876 3969

EDUCATION 1998 - 2001 : MFA in Sculpture at California State University Long Beach(Distinguished Achievement in Creative Activity Award) 1995 - 1998 : BFA in Sculpture with Honor Phi Beta Kappa, California State University, Long Beach SOLO EXHIBITIONS2011 Jun. Tongin Gallery, 'Dreaming Desert', Insa-dong, Seoul, Korea2010 Nov. Blue Nemo Gallery, Apgujung-dong, Seoul, Korea2010 Aug. Jenny's Toy World, Baum Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea2009 Aug. Whisper: Pillow-Talks, Gana Art Space, Gwanhun-dong, Seoul, Korea2009 May Pillow-Scape I,Cal State University, Long Beach 2008 May Pleasure, FT Art Gallery, L.A2008 Apr. Form vs. Content, SCA Project Gallery, Pomona, CA2205 Oct. Room 104 with A View, Pomona, California2005 Feb. Absence/Presence, Korean Cultural Services, Gallery A, Washington DC, curated by Clifford T. Çhieffo2003 Jun. Depth of Light, SCA Gallery, Pomona, California2002 Mar. Unwearable, SCA Gallery, Pomona, California2001 Mar. Apparition MFA Show at California State University, Long Beach2001 Feb. Images at Angels Gate Cultural Center2001 Jan. Ceramic/Projection at SCA Gallery, Pomona, California GROUP EXHIBITIONS2009 June -Spezzano Gallery, Long Beach2008 June - Angels Ink Gallery, San Pedro2007 Dec - The Orange County Contemporary Ceramics, John Wayne Airport.2007 Sept. - The 39th Annual Exhibition, Korean Cultural Center, LA2007 May - Ong Gwan (Buying Urns), Clay Sculpture with Video, SCA Gallery2007 Feb - Multiple Vantage Points, Barnsdall Municipal Gallery, LA2006 Mar - The New Utilitarian: Examining our Place on the Motherboard of Ceramics, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon2005 Jan. - The 61st Ceramic Annual, Scripps College, Claremont2004 Dec. - Picking Up the Pieces, El Camino College, Torrance2004 Aug. - Grand Opening Exhibit, Jungdong Hall Art Center, L.A.2004 Aug. - Pareidolia juried by Eleanor Antin, OCCCA, Santa Ana2004 May - Far Flung, 419 Gallery, Fullerton, Orange County2004 Feb. - Play Pause, SCA Gallery, Pomona2004 Jan. - Envisioning the Future facilitated by Judy Chicago, Pomona2003 Aug. - The 35th Annual Exhibition, Korean Cultural Center, LA2002 May - Ephemeral- So It Went, Armory Center, Pasadena.2002 Feb.- TRAX with NCECA UNION STATION, Kansas City,2002 Jan. - Verses, At the Brewery Project, L. A.2001 Aug. - CSULB Fine Art Graduates At The Brewery, I-5 Gallery,2001 July - Something More at SCA Gallery, Juror Patricia Correia2001 Jun - Grey Matters Group Show at Guggenheim Gallery, Orange2000 Aug. - Immigrant Eyes, Angeles Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro2000 Mar. - Found Objects Exhibit at Long Beach Art Center2000 Mar. - Big Sculpture Outdoor Exhibition at Parlos Verdes Art Center AWARD/SCHOLARSHIP/GRANTS Feb. 2002 :Visibility Award from California State University, Long BeachJuly 2001 : Best of Show Award by Juror Patricia Correia, at Something More Exhibition at SCA Gallery, PomonaPUBLICATIONS/REVIEW 2008, 5/2 Dream Pillows, Jung Ang Ilbo2007 9/8 Korean Aritsts Association Annual Exhibition, The Korea Times, L.A. by Eunho Lee2007, 2/26 Nina Jun Installation Art to Southern California Woman Artitists Exhibition, The Korea Times, LA.2007, 3/16 Is it too Later? It is the right time now, Sculptor Nina Jun Sports USA, L.A. by Sujin Park2005, 1/27 Where clay gets a chance to make a big Impression The Los Angeles Times by Andy Brumer2004, 1/10 Contemporary trend in Art: at a Glance, Envisioning the Future Group The Korea Times, By Taegy Kim2004, 1/14 Time Captured in Art by Nina Jun, Central Daily News, by Kyung-A Yang2002, 5/9 The Korea Times by John Kim2001, July/August Reviews by Suvan Geer, Sculpture Magazine,2001, 2/8 Vernarable life- Digital Projection Images on Ceramic Shards Angeles Gates, Joong Ang Daily News Paper, by Hyun Ah Lim 2001, 1/11 3 Days in the Valley- Artist Nina Jun, Los Angeles Times, Inland Valley Edition Calendar, by Joe Fogel 2002, 5/17 Press-Telegram Live, Long Beach, by Shirie Gottlieb 2000, 4/12 Impressive Array of Found Objects Press-Telegram Live, Long Beach, by Shirie Gootlieb2000, 4/10 Big Sculpture Eye Catcher Press-Telegram Live, Long Beach, by Joe StevensCOLLECTIONS Angeles Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St. ,San Pedro, CA90731Parlos Verdes Art Center, 5504 W. Crestridge Rd., Rancho Palos Verdes LECTURE /Panel Discussion2008 March Panel Discussiion Women and Careers Conference, California State University, Long Beach, CA2006 March Slide Lecture for Ceramic Classes Citrus College2004 Spring Ceramic Class Korean Culture Center in Garden Grove2002 Summer Instructor at Parlos Verdes Art Center, Sculpting in Terror Cotta 2002 Spring Slide Lecture -Cerritos College, Life Sculpture Class2002 Spring Slide Lecture -Art Alliance at Cal State University, Fullerton

Siren 3, ceramic glazed, 7"x8"x7" 2009

Upcoming shows No Frame

Nina K. Jun email : ninajunart_gmail.com2576 Falconer Way, Orange, CA 92867, USATel./Fax: (714) 998-3003, Cell : (714) 876-3969EDUCATION 1998 - 2001 : MFA in Sculpture at California State University Long Beach(Distinguished Achievement in Creative Activity Award) 1995 - 1998 : BFA in Sculpture with Honor Phi Beta Kappa, California State University, Long Beach SOLO EXHIBITIONS2009 Aug. Pillow-Scape II, Gana Art Space, Gwanhun-dong, Seoul, Korea2009 May Pillow-Scape I,Cal State University, Long Beach 2008 May Pleasure, FT Art Gallery, L.A2008 Apr. Form vs. Content, SCA Project Gallery, Pomona, CA2205 Oct. Room 104 with A View, Pomona, California2005 Feb. Absence/Presence, Korean Cultural Services, Gallery A, Washington DC, curated by Clifford T. Çhieffo2003 Jun. Depth of Light, SCA Gallery, Pomona, California2002 Mar. Unwearable, SCA Gallery, Pomona, California2001 Mar. Apparition MFA Show at California State University, Long Beach2001 Feb. Images at Angels Gate Cultural Center2001 Jan. Ceramic/Projection at SCA Gallery, Pomona, California HomeGalleryVideo IstallationsNewsContact