The Nyang Eopsin works created at artist Jane Yang-D’Haene’s studio residency in Brooklyn, New York, expand the surface language of the series through experiments with new materials and glazes. While continuing the structural forms developed in Korea and China, I observed the characteristics of the clay and glazes available in this new environment and incorporated their reactions into the work. Rather than attempting to reproduce the same materials and processes used in previous locations, I explored new surfaces based on the resources and working conditions of the Brooklyn studio.

During this period, I focused less on making major changes to the overall form and more on the colors and textures produced by glaze across the body. I tested different glazes and varied their combinations, thicknesses, and methods of application, observing how the clay and glaze interacted during firing. Instead of creating completely uniform surfaces, I embraced areas where glaze flowed, overlapped, or blended, as well as sections where the underlying texture of the clay remained partially visible.

Glaze functions not simply as decoration applied to a completed form, but as a material that determines the expression and atmosphere of each Nyang Eopsin. Even similar forms develop distinct characters through differences in color, gloss, roughness, and movement across the surface. The unpredictable transformations of glaze make each work an individual presence, while traces created by material and fire give the surfaces a greater sense of depth and time.

The Brooklyn works continue the fundamental sculptural language of Nyang Eopsin while expanding the visual possibilities of the series through new glaze experiments. Originating from the Korean tradition of household guardian spirits, the figure continues to acquire new surfaces as it encounters different materials and production environments. Despite these transformations, Nyang Eopsin retains its central meaning as a quiet guardian that remains close to everyday life and carries a wish for well-being.