Visitors to the Future School campus in Venice are welcomed with the offer of a drink—either water or tea—served in cups produced by master ceramicist and sculptor Jeong Mi Sun, who has also created a birdbath that will be installed on the pavilion’s roof.
Clay Onggi vessels are an everyday item in Korea, often used for fermenting kimchi and making soy sauce. They are closely associated with tasks that were traditionally carried out by women. The pieces made by Jeong Mi Sun for Future School are in the Jeju Onggi tradition—a form of ceramic unique to Jeju Island and to the hands of the sculptor. The process involves multiple people, and the pieces are fired in specially constructed kilns made from basalt found on the volcanic island, which take at least four days to reach the optimal temperature. Each object is unique, thanks to the explosive nature of the firing process and the iron variations in the clay.