Q PLEASE INTRODUCE THE GONGYOU.

The Gongyou is a porcelain brand run by my wife and me. Based on traditional celadon, we make products such as celadon, white porcelain, and green celadon equipped with practicality and artistry. In 2018, I completed a graduate course of three years in China and had been working at Icheon Doye Maeul, Gyeonggi-do. We named our brand “The Gongyou”, which means to share porcelain’s beauty and value in Korean, to represent the joy of using porcelain in daily life.

Q HOW DID YOU MAKE CELADON DECANTER SET?

We’ve been contemplating what can be used comfortably in daily life and decided that a set of drinkware might be useful for most age groups. Most people will think of something like “cheongjasanggam unhakmunmaebyeong” when it comes to celadon. There are already products with this pattern of clouds and cranes, but only porcelain can deliver its pure and genuine beauty. Hence, we’ve reinterpreted Goryeo celadon’s cloud and crane design because we think it’ll keep the Korean identity alive and keep up with the trends of modern people.

Q A LONG-NECKED BOTTLE AND A CRANE THAT LOOKS AT THE SKY—THEY ARE SO EYE-CATCHING AND UNIQUE.

The overall design of the bottle and cup embodies a crane, a bird with a long neck. It gives you a fine and stable grip when you grab it. There are two designs for the cup: a crane on a walk and one under the rain. The bottom was also made to serve as a platform to bridge the shape and design as a whole.

Q I HEARD YOU’VE MINIMIZED THE PROCESS FOR HANDCRAFTING.

We’ve tried to give the cloud and crane design a simple but independent appearance. Every step was performed elaborately, like other products. Sanggam is the traditional Korean technique of sculpting a symbol and filling it with white and kaolin clays. That’s why it takes some time and effort to sculpt for sanggam, even if the cup is small. On top of that, we’ve exerted our best efforts into the ceramic glaze’s color to increase the celadon’s purity. Color is the most important aspect of celadon, so glazing is the most critical part.

Q HOW DID YOU JOIN THE CONTEST FOR THE BEST SOUVENIR?

We’ve displayed our products at exhibitions several times before. We always think of what represents Korean souvenirs as it’s about traditional Korean goods and found that celadon is Korea’s unique and independent symbol that can be recognized in every corner of the world. So, we submitted celadon decanter set to the contest.

Q WHICH PIECE OF ADVICE FROM THE JUDGES DO YOU STILL RECALL?

We were both so excited when we heard that our expression of traditional Korean symbols in a modernized way with the reinterpretation was admirable. It meant what we were after was well delivered to the judges. So, we’ve decided to continue the work to express Korean traditions in a modern aesthetic sense.

Q WHERE CAN WE BUY THIS SET?

In Korea, we plan to sell online through active marketing. I’ve also found that interest in Korean celadon has been increasing when I was studying in China. When the COVID-19 pandemic ends, we will participate in domestic and foreign exhibitions to show the world Korea’s beauty with this celadon decanter set.