Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale 2026

Junmyoung Kim brings natural and man-made materials together in a single work, exploring how time accumulates within different materials and how they change over time. He sees ceramics as a material that can record time and stories.

Curiosity began with an experience Kim had more than 20 years ago, when he discovered layers of household waste buried deep underground on a hillside. The earth had silently absorbed the traces left by humans, taking them in as part of itself and forming an aged landscape of its own.

First, take in the work as a whole. Slender acrylic tubes filled with layers of soil, fallen leaves, clay powder, cigarette butts, sand, and tea leaves stand together like a small forest. Each structure is supported by a stone at its base and topped with a branch. At first glance, this combination of natural and man-made materials can almost resemble a tree.

Now look inside the transparent tubes. The bands formed by natural materials and everyday waste resemble layers of sediment in the earth. Waste that does not easily break down can remain underground for a long time, forming new layers together with other materials. As you look at the layers inside the tubes, consider the stories that have accumulated out of sight and the traces humans leave in the earth.