[Press Conference] A World of Ceramics Crafted by Earth and Soil from Human Hands: 《2026 Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale》 to Open

The 13th international ceramics art event, 《2026 Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale》, will be held for 45 days from the 18th of this month until November 1. The event will take place throughout Gyeonggi Province, including Icheon Serapia, Gwangju Konjiam Ceramic Park, and Yeoju Ceramic World.

Started in 2001, the Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale is the only international ceramics art event in Korea held every two years in Icheon, Gwangju, and Yeoju. It serves as a venue where artists, experts, ceramicists, and visitors from around the world gather to share the trends and new possibilities of contemporary ceramic art. Using "ceramics," a representative cultural resource of Gyeonggi Province, it has established itself as an international cultural and arts event that promotes ceramic culture and revitalizes the ceramics industry and local economy.

This year's theme is ‘Earth Makes’. This theme stems from the question, “What if an artwork were created by the Earth itself rather than by human hands?”, viewing soil and earth not merely as materials used by humans, but as subjects that co-create the works. Moving away from human-centered creation, it highlights 'Earth' as a subject of creation and expands the possibilities of ceramics into the future.
 

At the press conference held on the 9th, Ryu In-kwon, CEO of the Korea Ceramic Foundation, stated, “If we have viewed the subject of making ceramics as human-centered until now, this time we have shifted from humans to the Earth and nature, taking a theme that seeks harmony between nature, the Earth, and humans.” 
 

Art Director Lee Dae-hyung, who previously served as the art director for the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale and the art director for ‘CONNECT, BTS’, and is in charge of the overall supervision of this 2026 Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale, explained, “‘How can a biennale interpret the values of the era?’ I believe the reason for a biennale's existence is how it can prepare alternatives through media for the deficiencies of the era. Ceramics is the oldest medium and also a massive symbol, possessing the history of the land and the Earth. The starting point of this exhibition is to set aside human arrogance and learn from history, the Earth, and the land.”

First, the main exhibition 《Earth Makes》 will be held at the Icheon Gyeonggi Ceramic Art Museum. A total of 67 artists from 28 teams across 14 countries will participate, consisting of three chapters and two special projects. Participants including William Covington from the UK, Kim Chang-ho, Kim Si-young, and Lee Wan from Korea, Yasmin Smith from Australia, and the French artist duo Senocosm will present works dealing with the values of time, memory, ecology, and circulation held by the soil and the Earth.
 

At the same location, the 13th 《International Competition》, where one can encounter the trends of global ceramic art, will also be held. 1,050 artists from 77 countries submitted 1,397 pieces, of which 58 were finally selected. The honor of the Grand Prize was awarded to 〈Punch Card House〉 by German artist David Rauher.

At the Gwangju Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum, the special exhibition 《Master Ceramicists of Our Time》 will be held. As the first master exhibition featuring 64 participants, including Korean National Masters and Gyeonggi regional masters, it will re-examine the skills, spirit, and traditional values of ceramics through the works of these masters.
 

The 7th 《Beautiful Korean Ceramics Competition》 shows how the tradition of Korean ceramics is being continued and expanded today. Out of 254 pieces, 37 were selected, covering a wide range from works based on traditional techniques to works that newly explore form and materials. The Grand Prize was won by Woo Eun-ju's 〈Distortion〉, which interpreted the unique round and soft impression of Joseon Dynasty white porcelain Moon Jars by adding 'lines' and expressing them with modern sensibility.

At the Yeoju Gyeonggi Living Ceramic Art Museum, the special exhibition linked to the art market, 《Unfamiliar Tradition》, will be held. Six artists will present about 100 pieces, and it will be held simultaneously with Jiwooheon in cooperation with Design House. It reinterprets traditions such as earthenware, Goryeo black celadon, and iron-painted Buncheong through a modern perspective.

As for special exhibitions of collections, Yeoju's 《Beautiful Things are Eternal Joy》 (about 300 pieces) and Gwangju's 《Our History Seen Through Ceramics》 will be held together, highlighting the temporal changes of vessels and the history of Korean ceramics.
 

In addition, academic programs such as the International Ceramic Conference and International Ceramic Workshop, as well as side events such as the Kids Biennale, local ceramicist experience markets, and the Visiting Biennale, will be operated throughout Gyeonggi Province.

An official from the Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale stated, “Starting from soil and connecting nature and technology, tradition and future, and humans and the Earth, the ‘2026 Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale’ will welcome visitors not only as a place to meet the present of global ceramic art but also as a place to look anew at the ‘land’ we live on. We hope you will visit the biennale this autumn, where abundant exhibitions and diverse programs will unfold, to encounter the wide world of ceramic art.”