About
Jaejun Lee pursues the sublime beauty revealed through the structural precision and tactile purity of porcelain. Since relocating to the UK in 2018, he has come to describe his practice as both a physical and spiritual journey. Seeing himself as a “Journey Man,” Lee has gradually evolved his work by integrating new environmental and cultural influences into the aesthetic language he had long pursued.
His work is often described as having a Korean sensibility, a perception that naturally arises from his background. Elements such as wheel-throwing, vessel shape, and the use of white porcelain can evoke associations with East Asian or Korean ceramic traditions. However, beyond the moon jar form, many of his shapes reveal the influence of his time in the UK. Geometric structures and softly continuous curves often draw inspiration from traditions beyond Korea, reflecting a broader dialogue with global ceramic heritage.
Lee’s work exists at a delicate point of balance between multiple coordinates: the depth of traditional heritage and the refinement of contemporary aesthetics, as well as his own identity as a Korean artist working in the UK. Since 2021, he has further explored this balance by applying unpredictable flowing celadon glazes onto intentionally refined forms. Through this approach, his work examines the relationship between perfection and chance, as well as the tension between quietness and dramatic intensity.
Lee devotes considerable time to the processes that follow throwing. While intuition and sensitivity play an important role in his practice, he believes that the final distinction lies in the level of refinement. Using handmade tools, he carefully trims each piece before firing and finishing the surface with diamond polishing. Through this meticulous and persistent process, the resulting forms embody the accumulation of time and tenacity, revealing a quiet strength and beauty to those who take the time to truly observe them.
