Dal

“Therefore, always without desire, in order to observe its wonders.”
- Tao Te Ching

Dal (translated to Moon in Korean) is a solo exhibition by Auckland-based ceramicist Jino Jeong.

Round like the moon, the traditional Korean pottery form is typically created by joining together two porcelain bowls shaped like half circles. However, despite its round shape, the moon jar is not perfect, but rather beautifully imperfect. Through the process of creating his moon jars, Jeong draws on the teachings of Lao Tsu in his book Tao Te Ching. Like Tsu, Jeong believes that, instead of desiring more, the individual must accept what is in front of them in order to admire beauty in all its forms.

In Dal, Jeong embraces the wonderful irregularities of the moon jar whilst also experimenting beyond the traditional technique. Instead, the artist inserts his own narrative in order to reflect on the similarities between the moon’s phases – from new moon, first quarter, full moon, and last quarter – to the emotional phases we go through as human beings. It is in this way that the moon, and therefore the moon jar, can provide a great comfort in their familiarity. Through the shaping of clay, Jeong ultimately aims to create a vessel that can replicate the complicated emotions and glorious imperfections of human beings.