Eunbi-Cho: When objects become companions

I must assume that our eyes naturally follow an outer beauty, so I couldn’t understand your work at the first look although now I think that they are precious. Not everybody finds a beauty from a flaw, and I think it’s only possible when the person’s perspective is different than others or the one has a broad mind like the ocean. I wonder how you have developed this view if this question makes a sense.

It does. I think there are probably many reasons but here are couple I can recall at the moment. One of them is all those plants growing through very little gap. Such as a gap in a broken cement floor, a tiny crack of rock and wall, under roof tile type of situations.

It makes me think how strong the will to live they must have. They landed in possibly one of the worst situations and they still pushed out life. I should appreciate things more.

 

Eunbi, “Plant holding tile structure.” It is based on inspiration of the book '“Invisible Cities” by Italo Calvino. The artist’s various emotions like homesickness and memories created imagery city components, and this debris is one of them.

 

Second is that I really like perfect stuff. But I would break those perfect things quite often. So, I would try to figure out different ways of using it. If you are lucky enough - which will happen surprisingly often - it will be a neat break that it will look like it was made like that haha.

Not many things last forever, whether you want it or accidentally. Doesn’t mean you cannot embrace it or give a second life to it and try to make something out of it.

 

Eunbi, “Zen City.” This building is part of the “Invisible Cities” inspired series. It has a zen garden on top with a place to burn incense and holds candle. “It’s sort of my little temple for my mind and soul to find peace and a home I wish to have,” the artist said.

 

 

Eunbi, “Soma lamp.” This pyramid shape lamp was made for Sonomama and was also inspired by the book “Invisible Cities.”

 

And last is that I have lots of scars from my natural behaviors and my parents used to get really sad about them, especially the one on my face and they really wanted that one removed. However, I got it when I was too young to remember anything so it never bothered me that if someone asked, I would make a joke about it. Sometimes things break and a lot of times you cannot take it back. You can fix it, but it is rare that it is 100% fixed. It is common to still leave some faint trace. And broken things and crack doesn’t mean defeat to me. It means you survived the accidents and learned from it and became stronger.

So... My turn to ask... Does this make sense? 

 

Now I know how much your object is infused with your view and life, and becomes unique one of a kind work that is as thoughtful as like you. I heard you started making ceramics after moving to LA. Could you explain a little bit about your career development? 

I majored Fiber Art in Ewha Womans University and worked in the Fashion field a little bit and relocated to LA in the summer of 2011. Since then, I had experiences that could be said experimental but not productive, and then by chance stepped into the world of ceramics which I found fascinating, so I have built up my knowledges about it, and started my own brand EUNBI in 2016. Ever since, I have been making pieces and making a living with it. 

 

 

 “One of my nicknames in high school was ostrich egg and that is why I first considered making it. Plus, egg to me is mysterious, mythical, whole food, shape and more. So, I made it wishing people would put in their precious physical & mental stuff like rings, wishes, little stuff and etc.” — Artist Eunbi Cho

 

Looking at your website, your practice is all about brining small joys to a daily life. At the same time, I can see your experiments that play with two different concepts, like structure and fluidity, and precision and abstraction. Would you explain your practice?

I’m using a slogan “made for play” for explaining my work. They are ceramics to be made for a playful use. When I make them, I wish that the user feels like hanging out or spending time with a friend, rather than ‘using’ them. 

Since I moved to the States, I’ve gotten used to being alone, which was the first time in my life, as I used to live with my family in Korea. I enjoyed the solitude but also wanted to have a friend of mine who I can hangout with whenever I needed. I think that idea is reflected in my ceramic work.

I hope the user considers my ceramics as a way to get to know their friends—using them differently, displaying them differently, and thinking about why the maker made them in this way. They might even find a new function for the design beyond my primary purpose.

I hope people have an opportunity to have various views to see others’ world or relationships due to their relationship with these ceramic buddies.

 

Ceramic artist Eunbi Cho. Her studio is in Pasadena, LA. Photo by Andrew Tan 

 

It's been 4 years since I met you as a recipient of EDGE awards. If there are any differences since then and now, what is the main difference in your work? 

Since receiving the award, many things have changed, but one major shift is that the scale of my work has grown. I’ve been exploring how to create pieces that can function as furniture. It’s more challenging, but also more rewarding.

 

JODE encourages our community to refresh their minds with a great shower and lead a more fun and exciting life. Would you be willing to share your health or beauty routines, or tell us about the routines you're working to achieve?

A great shower always refreshes my mind, but I must be careful not to lose track of time haha. Physical activities are my favorite way to refresh mentally. Focusing on not falling or getting hurt in the moment helps me forget about other concerns in life. My favorite activity is swimming—anything water-related—but since that’s not always accessible, I ride my bicycle, go for walks, hike, or do deep stretching. Recently, I’ve been into deep stretching.

In fact, I’ve been riding my bicycle four times a week because I realized I need to do a better job of staying healthy. I’ve been making an effort not only to exercise regularly but also to eat clean. Each year, I learn more about myself, and I’ve noticed that if I don’t exercise consistently, my anxieties pile up. That’s why I’ve made it a priority to never skip my bicycling routine. I like to think I’m sweating out all the toxicity, including toxic thoughts.

As for a beauty routine, I don’t really have one, but I have dry skin, and California’s climate is extremely dry. To manage that, I apply moisturizer before bed and in the morning, and I use body lotion and hand cream. One thing I always prioritize is getting eight hours of sleep. I believe it helps with so many things, including maintaining both health and beauty ^^;.

 

- Written by Joon Mann/ Featured Artworks © Courtesy Eunbi Cho/ EUNBI/ 2020 and 2024