Vicki Finkel in South Korea with master potter Seong-Keun Jeon

Seong-Keun Jeon, master South Korean ceramic artist.

In South Korea the modern age is in full gear.

Subway riders in Seoul enjoy clean, quiet, and efficient transport service (free wifi often included).

 Tradition, however,  persists, including the hourly changing of the guards at Seoul's historic palaces.

Royal guards and musicians don colorful garb as they ceremonially march in front of the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Northern Seoul. Constructed in 1935, it is the largest of 5 Grand Palaces, and was the main royal house of the Joseon dynasty, serving as the seat of government as well as the home of kings and their families. 

Agricultural traditions thousands of years old also thrive, including the cultivation of rice, which has been growing in Korea since about 2000 b.c.

Rice fields in Yeoju, (population 100,000),  about 65 km. southeast of the capital, Seoul, and one of the prime rice-growing areas of South Korea.

 In Gyeonggi province, in the towns of Yeoju, and nearby Icheon, master potters keep alive the rich Korean ceramic heritage. Seong-Keun Jeon, known as Mooto, is an internationally acclaimed highly skilled artist and potter who generously shared his time and studio with me, graciously enabling me to learn and practice his specialized and mind-boggling gorgeous carving techniques.

Mooto in his studio, working on a porcelain vase.

He transforms pottery, such as these tall porcelain vases made on the potter's wheel, into artistic works of stunning beauty through his brilliant carving.

Details from some of Mooto's carved pieces. Through highly developed carving methods, he creates complex layered effects on the surface of his clay pieces, and has become a living national treasure in the country.

In Mooto's studio, outside the town of Yeoju, I was fortunate to apprentice with him.

Vicki works on a porcelain vase.

Signature Mooto motifs.

 Repetitive and floral patterns, such as the above carvings are central to Mooto's repertoire. However, his favorite pieces to create are unique hand-carved designs based on fantasy images conjured from his imagination.

Exceptionally talented carving in process.

A detail from a recently completed Mooto work of art.  

Staff at the studio work extremely hard, and long hours. They break at midday for a communal lunch.

Mooto's studio is multi-faceted, with his labor-intensive carving occurring side-by-side with faster-paced factory production work.

Vicki assists in finishing a hand-made platter at the studio.

Mooto carefully and meticulously makes his own carving tools.

Before I could begin working, Mooto required me to hand craft all my own tools.

Specific carving tools that Vicki made, some with added chopstick handles secured with red tape.

After tools were made, I could begin to carve under Mooto's tutelage.

Vicki working on a tall porcelain vase in the studio.

Loading the kilns is an arduous and critical job, which this studio manager does to perfection.

Shelves stacked with bowls and plates about to be rolled into the kiln and fired.

In addition to being an historic ceramic capital of South Korea, Yeoju is home to many national  landmarks, including the burial mound of the visionary King Sejong, considered to be the greatest king of the Joseon dynasty. His rule led to numerous scientific, technologic and artistic innovations, chief of which was the invention of the Korean alphabet, which would unify all classes of society.

Vicki befriended a Yeoju bicycle racer, who graciously played tour guide, cycling alongside Vicki to show her scenic spots including the burial tomb of King Sejong, a UNESCO World Heritage site.