This study explores the hybridity of tradition and modernity in Korean ceramics, with a particular focus on how such hybridity is articulated through cultural practices and artistic production. By examining the Gangjin Celadon Festival alongside the w...
This study explores the hybridity of tradition and modernity in Korean ceramics, with a particular focus on how such hybridity is articulated through cultural practices and artistic production. By examining the Gangjin Celadon Festival alongside the works of Korean master ceramic artisans, the research investigates the dynamic interplay between inherited traditions and modern reinterpretations in shaping the identity and evolution of Korean ceramic art.
Historically, Korean ceramics have been grounded in a rich tradition exemplified by Koryeo celadon, Buncheong ware, and Chosun white porcelain. However, the processes of industrialization and globalization have significantly transformed the field, leading to expanded functions, diversified aesthetics, and new modes of production. In this context, tradition and modernity should not be understood as binary opposites, but rather as interdependent and mutually constitutive forces that generate hybrid cultural forms.
Adopting a mixed-methods approach, this study integrates theoretical inquiry with empirical analysis. Quantitative data were collected through surveys administered to both general visitors and ceramic professionals at the Gangjin Celadon Festival. The survey measured perceptions of tradition and industrialization, institutional and policy awareness, festival satisfaction, and behavioral intentions such as revisit and recommendation. Complementarily, qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews with Korean master ceramic artisans, focusing on their creative processes, modes of transmitting tradition, and contemporary reinterpretations.
The findings demonstrate that perceptions of tradition and modernization significantly influence festival satisfaction, which in turn strongly predicts behavioral intentions. In particular, dimensions such as identity and cultural value, production and competitiveness, and consumer and market awareness exhibit positive effects on participants’ experiences. Institutional and policy support are also found to play a critical role in enhancing satisfaction levels.
Analysis of the master artisans’ works reveals that hybridity is embodied through the integration of traditional techniques, materials, and motifs with contemporary aesthetics and experimental approaches. Elements such as clay composition, glazing, decorative patterns, and firing techniques are recontextualized, resulting in innovative forms that transcend mere replication of tradition. This suggests that contemporary Korean ceramics operate not through preservation alone, but through the creative transformation and reconfiguration of tradition.
Furthermore, hybridity manifests across multiple dimensions, including formal, material, temporal, media, and genre-based combinations. These hybrid forms reflect broader socio-cultural shifts characterized by globalization, cultural convergence, and interdisciplinary practices, thereby expanding the expressive potential of ceramic art.
This study contributes to the field in three key ways. First, it reconceptualizes the relationship between tradition and modernity through the lens of hybridity, moving beyond conventional dichotomies. Second, it bridges cultural-industrial and artistic perspectives by integrating festival-based empirical analysis with case studies of artistic practice. Third, it offers practical and policy implications for sustaining and advancing contemporary Korean ceramics in a global context.
In conclusion, hybridity emerges as a defining characteristic of contemporary Korean ceramics, functioning as both a creative strategy and a cultural condition. The continued development of Korean ceramics will depend on the dynamic negotiation between tradition and innovation, supported by sustained research and institutional frameworks.