From Kiln to Kimchi: A Celebration of Korean Culture

Join us for a celebration of local Korean and Korean American culture in New York City. From the role of pottery in everyday life to its deep connection with Korean cuisine, we’ll explore how craft and culture intersect in meaningful ways. 

This special event is inspired by the Museum’s Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Collections Core, which showcases more than 3,000 specimens and objects–including a display of Korean pottery on the second floor–in the Gilder Center.  

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Wander through the Gilder Center to try four different iconic Korean dishes produced by local vendors and restaurants.
• Engage with Museum scientists and staff as they present Korean pottery pieces from the collection, offering insight into their cultural and historical significance.
• Explore contemporary works by Korean American artists Janny Baek and Jane Yang-D'haene, and learn how they have been inspired by traditional Korean pottery. Watch Korean and Korean American pottery artists YoonJee Kwak and Dave Kim at work and ask questions about their artistic processes. 
• Discover the science behind fermentation as we take a deep dive into the iconic dish of kimchi and its relationship to traditional Korean ceramics. Hear from Soohwan Kim on the scientific significance of onggi pots—handcrafted vessels used for fermenting kimchi for over 7,000 years.  
• Browse a curated pop-up marketplace featuring original works from over a dozen local Korean American artists, offering ceramics, stationery, apparel, and more. 

Food Tasting

Kimchi  

Kimchi is a traditional dish made with salted and fermented vegetables. 

Kimchi Kooks is a Brooklyn-based, family-owned business specializing in handcrafted, small-batch kimchi and other Korean delicacies. Founded by mother-and-son duo Kate Kook and WooJae Chung, Kimchi Kooks uses traditional family recipes to create authentic flavors.  

Guests will be able to try both the Classic Kimchi and the Original White Kimchi. 

Japchae 

Japchae is a stir-fried noodle dish made with sweet potato starch noodles and a mix of vegetables tossed in a savory-sweet soy sauce-based seasoning. 

Kimbap 

Kimbap is a dish made of steamed rice and various fillings such as vegetables, egg, and fish cake, rolled in seaweed and sliced into bite-sized pieces. 

Kimbap Lab is dedicated to celebrating the rich tapestry of Korean cuisine through a focus on health and innovation. Founded by Sarah H. Lee and Chef Wonil Lee, the company was born from a desire to reimagine traditional Korean dishes in a way that accommodates diverse dietary needs without compromising flavor. Inspired by Sarah’s personal experience with gluten sensitivity, Kimbap Lab creates food that is both inclusive and deeply rooted in culinary tradition. 

Ramyun Station 

Ramyun is a Korean-style instant noodle dish and is a popular late-night snack in Korea.  

At this station, you can select your flavor and your toppings to make your own ramyun bowl. 

Alcohol Tasting (Porcelain Ticket Only)

Makgeolli 

Makgeolli is a traditional Korean rice wine with a milky appearance, slightly sweet flavor, and a light effervescence due to natural fermentation. Hana Makgeolli is a Brooklyn-based craft brewery dedicated to producing premium, small-batch makgeolli using traditional Korean brewing methods and natural ingredients. Founded by Alice Jun, the company focuses on reviving and modernizing the ancient art of Korean rice wine fermentation while emphasizing quality and authenticity. 

Tasting will include three different brews of makgeolli: 

• TAKJU 16 is a bold, fuller bodied brew that packs an alcoholic punch and a fruity palate.
• HWAJU 12 is lighter, with floral notes of chrysanthemum and hydrangea thanks to an infusion of leaves and flowers during later fermentation.
• YAKJU 14 is an elegant, elevated brew, clarified, light in body, bright with acid, with subtle notes of wheat and barley. 

Soju 

Soju is a clear, distilled Korean liquor typically made from rice, barley, or sweet potatoes, known for its smooth taste and versatility in cocktails.  

Tasting will include a soju cocktail from JUMO, a New York City-based company that uses a soju base infused with ingredients deeply rooted in Korea’s culture and tradition to create a modern cocktail. During Korea’s ancient Joseon dynasty, female bar owners of traditional pubs were called “jumo.” 

Music from DJ Peach 

Peach is a Korean-American DJ and producer based in New York, known for her dynamic sets and diverse music style. Formerly an auditor at a public accounting firm, she made the bold decision in 2019 to pursue her true passion, music. Although the transition was challenging, her lifelong love of music, rooted in her childhood experience singing opera, pushed her forward. Since then, Peach has become a rising star in the DJ scene, headlining and opening for major artists across the nation. She has also become a prominent figure in the K-pop community, spinning at numerous K-pop events across the U.S., blending her unique style with the high energy vibe of the K-pop scene. With her drive, creativity, and love for music, Peach is making her mark and keeping the party going wherever she plays. 

Pottery Artists

Janny Baek

Janny Baek is an artist and architect born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Queens, New York. Janny received her BFA in ceramics from Rhode Island School of Design and worked as a sculptor in animation and toys before completing her master's in architecture at Harvard University and counts her experiences in craft, pop culture, industrial design and architecture as the major influences on her current work in ceramics. After founding her firm, McMahon-Baek Architecture, in 2014, Janny returned to making sculptures and started her ceramics practice in in 2019. Janny currently lives and works in lower Manhattan with her husband and their two daughters. 

Dave Kim

Dave Kim the Potter’s ceramic practice draws on precolonial Korean pottery traditions. Based in New York, he is committed to preserving an ancient art form passed down through generations, approaching this cultural inheritance with a contemporary and deeply personal perspective. 

Kim’s work is rooted in research. Through extensive study and rigorous apprenticeships under master potters, he has mastered the key visual elements—form, surface, color, and material—that define traditional Korean ceramics. His practice centers on the techniques of Sang-gam (inlay), Baek-ja (porcelain-ware), and Bun-cheong (stamps), methods originally developed during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897) for creating functional ware used in settings ranging from everyday household activities to ancestral rituals and royal ceremonies. Favoring refined subtlety over ornate embellishment, these techniques exemplify a distinctive aesthetic philosophy of the time: simplicity as an embodiment of natural and unpretentious beauty. 

YoonJee Kwak 

Yoonjee Kwak creates sculptural vessels and explores fired clay painting, expanding craft’s expressive language. Rooted in Korean culture, her work symbolizes the human spirit, reflecting the metaphor of character as a “vessel” of tolerance and depth. She builds coil by coil, leaving hand marks that capture time and memory, a meditative process echoed in her clay paintings through repetitive patterns and brushstrokes. 

Originally from South Korea, Kwak exhibits internationally and has been a resident at the Archie Bray Foundation and Pottery Northwest. She holds an MFA from RIT and a BFA from Hong-Ik University. Recognized with honors like the James Renwick Alliance Chrysalis Award, her work has appeared in major biennials in Korea and China. 

Jane Yang-D’Haene

Jane Yang-D'haene's ceramic work is deeply influenced by her Korean heritage, particularly the traditional dal hang-ari (Moon Jar), while also pushing the boundaries of form and texture. By embracing abstraction and experimentation, she transforms emotional experiences into physical vessels that explore the relationship between memory, identity, and materiality. Her work challenges tradition by incorporating imperfections and celebrating the unpredictable nature of the firing process, resulting in pieces that feel both terrestrial and otherworldly. 

Marketplace Vendors

Anchovy Studio 

Anchovy Studio is an independent apparel and design brand inspired by the stories held in Korean folk arts and diaspora. Anchovy Studio creates gender expansive clothing, prints, and zines with a mind to sustainable practices with fellow local, BIPOC-owned small businesses. Each apparel and art piece reflects a heritage of art traditions and stories of community. 

Carolyn Yoo 

Carolyn Yoo is a Korean American artist, illustrator, and writer based in Brooklyn, New York. She is devoted to reflection and honest storytelling in her creative practice, brought to life with hand-drawn lines and analog textures. 

She is also the creator of SEE YOU, a weekly creativity and self-discovery newsletter with over three thousand readers. 

Cindy Chung 

Rootin' Tootin' is run by Cindy Chung, a Korean American illustrator and maker based in New York City. She specializes in handmade ceramics and tufted rugs, blending playful textures and expressive details to create pieces that bring warmth and character to any space. Cindy crafts fun and unique ceramics, rugs, wall decor, and more, bringing her illustrations to life in tangible, one-of-a-kind forms. 

Clare Kim 

Clare Kim is a self-taught interdisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Through her work, she explores the interconnectedness of all things—drawing inspiration from the quiet moments of the everyday, nature, and spirituality. Clare has participated in a number of group exhibitions in spaces across New York City, as well as two solo shows at Chinatown Soup in Manhattan. 

CNDLNYC 

CNDLNYC is a New York and New Jersey based 100% organic soy candle company that uses minimal but upscale design and non-toxic and cruelty-free aromatic scents. 

Esther Nam  

Esther Nam is a Korean American ceramicist based in Brooklyn. Her ceramics weave a playful dialogue between contemporary design and Korean cultural heritage. Each piece reimagines traditional forms through a modern lens, celebrating the delicate balance of minimalist aesthetics and bold artistic expression. 

The Ghost Egg 

The Ghost Egg is run by Mary Ann Countryman, a Korean American illustrator based in Brooklyn. Her artwork features whimsical little ghost scenes designed to elicit a sense of joy, nostalgia, and exploration. Her fantasy world building draws on everyday life and her east-Asian heritage. She creates art prints, stickers, washi tape, and bookmarks, as well as hand-crafted miniature clay decor and accessories. 

JAGI Studios 

JAGI is a brand that draws inspiration from the rich tradition of ceramics in Korea, where the art of pottery has been celebrated for centuries. Their name, which means ceramics in Korean, reflects their commitment to honoring this legacy by offering handmade pieces that are both beautiful and functional. 

Janet Lee 

Janet Lee is a multidisciplinary artist based in Queens, NY. A Korean American freelance illustrator and designer, Janet also like creating comics and using risograph as well. Janet enjoys creating stories through illustrations and connecting with the viewer through heartfelt narratives, as well as exploring the imaginative side of normal. 

Interlude Coffee & Tea 

Interlude Coffee & Tea is a specialty cafe in Tribeca, NYC, dedicated to precision-crafted coffee, high-quality matcha, and a curated selection of fine teas. Since 2018, they have been committed to excellence, offering a refined yet inviting space where every detail matters. 

Kim’C Market 

Kim’C Market brings you the best of Korea with natural ingredients, artisanal flavors, and a curated selection of lifestyle products for a richer culinary and cultural experience. 

KimlyParc 

KimlyParc is a coffee brand dedicated to bringing high-quality, cafe-style drinks you can enjoy wherever you are. Their thoughtfully crafted products are designed for convenience without compromising on taste, ensuring a premium coffee experience anytime, anywhere.

OKAY TAKE CARE 

Founded by Haewon Jung, OKAY TAKE CARE offers small batch ceramic work inviting function and an appreciation of nature into the home. The ceramics are an exploration of her connection to traditional Korean arts through her grandfather’s calligraphy and mother’s textile work and inviting this exploration in functional pieces through her background in design. 

OngleOngle 

OngleOngle, meaning "nails nails" in French, is a nail art studio specializing in handmade, original designs. The name is written as 옹글옹글 in Korean to evoke “몽글몽글” (Mongle Mongle), reflecting the brand’s classy yet playful and dreamy aesthetic. 

Drawing inspiration from Korean nail art trends not widely available in the U.S., OngleOngle offers high-quality, custom-sized Gel-X press-on nails. Co-founded by Judy, a licensed nail technician, each set is meticulously crafted for a perfect fit. 

Designed for versatility, the nails are fully reusable and come with a complimentary application kit, including both nail glue and jelly tab stickers for different occasions. 

Reclamation Foods 

Reclamation Foods is reclaiming collective cultural wisdom around food. That means restoring healthy soils and making use of the whole animal to nourish communities through traditional foods. Drawing from the founder's Korean heritage, their flagship product is a Korean-style bone broth made with just two ingredients, high quality bones and filtered water, and unseasoned for maximum versatility.  

Seean Kim 

Daldal (달달) is run by Seean Kim, a Korean American ceramicist and coffee roaster based in Queens. His works embody a sense of softness, aiming to reflect his brand's namesake by exploring what it means for a form to feel sweet and round. He focuses on functional ware and vessels that pair well with flowers, glazed in his recreation of traditional celadon-like glazes.