PLANES OF CLAY
Gerd Hiort Petersen DK & Samuel Chung USA
Exhibition d. 8 May – 7 June 2014
Opening reception Thursday 8 May at 16-19.00
Between heaven and earth clouds and rocks converge in abstract planes..
Gerd Hiort Petersen and Samuel Chung exhibit ceramic works, where the spacious organic form is touched by geometric planes.
They work in very different ways, but the exhibition also shows the connection between Danish and American-Korean ceramics.
Samuel Chung relates his porcelain jars to Korean culture, but breaks the tradition with Scandinavian inspiration and symbolic geometric form elements in his 'Cloud Vessels'.
Gerd Hiort Petersen shows painterly sculptural pieces that are seemingly penetrated by rock formations inspired by the nature of Bornholm island, as well as models for church commissions.The exhibition PLANES OF CLAY presents composite complex ideas, thoughts and motives, made in ceramics with a common ground for two very different ceramic artists residing respectively in Arizona and Bornholm.
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The pieces contain layers of meaning and symbolism mirroring personal visions, tradition, beliefs and culture.Their works reveal in their shapes, decorations and sensuality a spatial feeling - and on several levels, religious symbolism and cultural references. Surfaces and areas are broken up adding depth to the piece's narrative.
Gerd Hiort Petersen works with earth and nature with an almost palpable inspiration, but uses symbols, colours and areas with pictorial suggestions that are not immediately understood.
Samuel Chung shows a similar clarity in his large cartoonish clouds where simple lines lie on the surface, contributing to determine the shape and define abstract colour areas.There are earth, rock and dark colours in Gerd's work while there are air, sky and bright colours with Chung; but they leave the viewer with a feeling that all is not read, - unknown meanings and hidden thoughts are to be found in the pieces.
Gerd Hiort Petersen DK
A splendid composition of works describes Gerd Hiort Petersen's outlook on life and visionary approach to the use of ceramic materials, together with her close connection to the nature of Bornholm.
Gerd Hiort Petersen shows large sculptural jars and vessels, ceramic paintings on wall-mounted plates, as well as models of altarpieces and crosses for her church commissions. 
Her painterly decorated pieces can be seen as complex sculptural utilitarian objects, sculptures with references to function and sculptural images each with their own story. 
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Church art is very important in Gerd Hiort Petersen's body of work.
She is highly recognized for her beautiful church commissions that reflect her personal, reflective sense of space, tradition and liturgy.
The exhibition displays a few models of her altars and crosses.
Gerd Hiort Petersen is one of Denmark's major ceramic artists with a long and productive career.Many ambiguous tracks have set their mark through a long life with ceramics from the first studio pottery training on the island, continuing education at the Arts&Crafts/Design School in Copenhagen, and a work period of design and art at the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Factory and numerous travels around the world to Japan, South America, Korea, China, Europe and returning to Bornholm as a homely idyllic base for studio and living.
Since 1973, Gerd Hiort Petersen has had her ceramic studio on the island with her husband and colleague Hans Munck Andersen. They have exhibited, travelled and worked in Denmark and abroad.
Gerd Hiort Petersen was born on Bornholm in 1937. Member of International Academie de la Ceramique, IAC.
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Samuel Chung USA
”A consistent point of departure for my work has been the ceramic vessel and playing with the balance between form, function and design.
I am interested in the way that pots have the unique ability to serve a multitude of roles and functions. They can exhibit decorative beauty, bring attention to more functional/tactile concerns, and also create historical, cultural and experiential associations. I work within the context of pottery to exploit its universal familiarity and impose my own vision for merging historically and culturally disparate influences.
I am curious about the relationships I see amongst various forms of creative expression from both past and present, and try to bring forth a new language of pottery for the future. For this exhibition, I have been working around the cloud motif, which originated from seeking out a design motif that had a link to my Korean lineage. This motif has been integrated with some traditional Korean pottery forms to give the work a new context."
Samuel Chung was born in 1970. He has a Master of Fine Art (1994-97) from Arizona State University, where he has taught since 2007. Samuel Chung has exhibited in the United States, China, Korea, Italy and Denmark.
He is active in the organization NCECA, which annually organizes international symposia for teachers and professional potters and ceramic artists in various states in the United States, and he has received several awards, scholarships, guest artist positions and worked as artist-in-residence in China and Denmark.
