The Aesthetics of the Intangible: DOGABI

BRIDGING TRADITION AND IMAGINATION:

KOREAN CERAMIC ARTIST KIM HYUNG-JUN

Ceramic artist Kim Hyung-jun began his journey with clay in high school, later majoring in ceramic craft through both undergraduate and graduate studies. Since opening his studio in Goyang City in 2003, he has spent over two decades exploring the evolving boundaries of Korean ceramics—balancing tradition with modernity, and craftsmanship with creative vision.

He has received numerous awards in national craft competitions, including the Korea Craft Competition, and has actively contributed to nurturing the next generation through lectures, advisory roles, and mentorship at universities and public institutions. In 2024, in recognition of his artistic achievements and community engagement, he was named the fifth Craft Master of Goyang Special City—an honorary title awarded to only one individual each year.

While his early work explored the theme of human cyborgization and post-human identity, Kim eventually turned his focus to Korean folk mythology—most notably, the dokkaebi, a legendary goblin-like being deeply rooted in Korean tradition and shamanistic belief.

Unlike Western goblins, Korean dokkaebi are not malevolent or fearsome creatures. Instead, they are supernatural beings that reward the good and punish the wicked—symbols of poetic justice and spiritual guardians of balance. They are believed to bring fortune and wealth to kind-hearted people, while delivering punishment to the greedy or immoral. This duality positions the dokkaebi as a uniquely Korean emblem of morality, prosperity, and folklore.

Kim brings these intangible mythological beings into the tangible world of ceramics. Through techniques such as wheel throwing, hand carving, plaster mold-making, and slip casting, he creates works that are both functional craft pieces and collectible art objects. His ceramics extend beyond the realm of utility and become vessels for narrative and cultural memory.
He has developed this singular artistic vision under the brand name DOGABI, reimagining the dokkaebi as contemporary design objects. His work has been showcased at major international design fairs such as NY NOW and Shoppe Object in New York, Maison & Objet in Paris, and Design London, engaging audiences around the world.
Kim Hyung-jun’s work emerges at the intersection of traditional aesthetics, contemporary imagination, and refined craftsmanship.
Through his hands, the dokkaebi is no longer a creature confined to folklore—it is reborn as a modern object, becoming a medium that carries human stories and emotions.