In this solo exhibition, artist Jeong Bin Lee presents ten round-bottomed, wide-mouthed, and long-necked jars that reflect his independent interpretation and examination of figurine-decorated pottery. His work draws attention to earthenware vessels produced in the Silla and Gaya regions between the mid-third and sixth centuries, which were adorned with clay figurines depicting people, animals, and everyday objects. Through these forms, Lee develops narratives concerning contemporary attitudes toward death and the belief in the continuation of life beyond death.

The title Beyond Life signifies the transcendence of life. Ceramics have endured throughout human history, and the exhibition was named to express the artist’s hope that the spirit of our ancestors may continue across time.

Lee states, “I find it regrettable that our distinctive pottery traditions disappeared amid historical changes such as the fall of Gaya, the consolidation of Silla’s political system, and shifts in burial practices. Although the works in this exhibition revisit the artistic forms of a particular historical period, I hope that this tradition can flourish today as an artistic language through which individuals may express their own identities.”