A home within: MFA Thesis - Ceramics

Abstract

A Home Within delves into the complexity of being bicultural as a Korean American, focusing on the influence of the maternal bond and cooking on self-acceptance of identity. By sculpting ceramic kitchen appliances that act as vessels for personal narratives and miniature worlds, creating molds to slip-cast dishware and food containers that contain illustrations and emptiness, I explore the physical spaces from my life to discuss the emotional weight of my mother’s love, shared through cooking in our kitchen. By working at both actual scale and in miniature, layering underglazes, incorporating kitchen materials, and painting and decorating with food within each sculpture, I explore what it means to be wonderfully intricate as someone who navigates two different cultures, often finding myself in between. A Home Within is a space where personal history thrives, celebrating the richness of cooking, remembering, and sharing what it means to be at home as a Korean American.