Korea Ceramic Foundation Names Woo Eun-ju's 'Distortion' as Grand Prize Winner of 'Beautiful Korean Ceramics Competition'
The Korea Ceramic Foundation announced 37 award-winning works from the 2026 Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale ‘Beautiful Korean Ceramics Competition’ on the 11th, selecting artist Woo Eun-ju's work ‘Distortion’ as the Grand Prize winner.
Now in its seventh year, the ‘Beautiful Korean Ceramics Competition’ is a major exhibition program of the Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale, established to carry forward and develop the tradition and beauty of Korean ceramics in a modern way.
A total of 254 works were submitted by 206 artists from around the world for this competition, and a panel of five domestic and international experts in ceramics and art selected a total of 37 works through a first-round document screening and a second-round in-person review: △1 Grand Prize △1 Gold Prize △2 Silver Prizes △2 Bronze Prizes △31 Honorable Mentions. The judging was conducted in a blind manner without disclosing artist information to enhance fairness.
Woo Eun-ju's ‘Distortion’ was highly praised as a work that uses the moon jar as a motif to express curves and the soft texture of the surface, adding a natural and painterly aesthetic through brushstrokes.
The Gold Prize went to artist Jeon Ha-ram's ‘Iron-Painted Four Seasons (鐵彩四季).’ A modern reinterpretation of the iron-painting technique of buncheong ware, the work depicts the changing time of the seasons over unchanging nature such as rocks and stones, capturing the image of living in harmony with nature.
The Silver Prizes were awarded to Yoon Jeong's ‘Round’ and Lee Eui-young's ‘Water.’ ‘Round’ offers a new expression of the inlay technique, while ‘Water’ explores the texture and feel of white clay, rendering it in the form of water droplets.
The Bronze Prizes were selected for Choi Yi-jae's ‘Bon_082’ and Kim Geu-rim's ‘Jar with Color.’ ‘Bon_082’ reinterprets earthenware from the Three Kingdoms period, while ‘Jar with Color’ expresses the colors and images of a moment in the process of stacking up clay.
The award-winning and honorable-mention works will be on display in the special exhibition hall on the first floor of the Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum from September 18 to November 1, during the 2026 Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale.
Ryu In-kwon, CEO of the Korea Ceramic Foundation, said, “We are grateful for the interest and participation of the ceramic artists who strive to carry on Korea's ceramic tradition,” adding, “We will work even harder to promote the beauty and excellence of our ceramics, the essence of K-culture, to the world, and to spread the value of Korean ceramic culture.”
Meanwhile, the 2026 Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale is a world ceramic art festival held for 45 days from September 18 to November 1, centered on Icheon, Gwangju, and Yeoju, and is set to showcase various ceramic artworks and programs.