Yu Geun-Hyeong

Yu Geun-Hyeong (유근형 ; 柳根瀅), pen name Haegang, (April 5, 1894 – January 20, 1993) was a Korean ceramist and played the leading role in the revival of Goryeo celadon.

His name is also written as Ryu, Yu Geun-Hyeong, Yu Kun-hyong, Yoo Geun-hyung, Yoo Keun-Hyeong. The studio name is written as Haegang or Hae-Gang.

Biography
Yu Geun-Hyeong was born in Seoul and attended Boseong Middle School. After graduation, and during much of his first 50 years, Korea was under Japanese rule. In 1911, he began his career as a potter at the Hanyang Koryo Ceramics Factory located in Shindang-dong, Seoul. The factory was owned and operated by a firm in Japan. As a consequence it is likely many of his most early works were shipped to Japan and sold to the consumer market. He honed his skills by moving around as an engineer at ceramics factories across the country. Early in his career, Yu established a friendship with at least one of the Japanese brothers Noritaka and Takumi Asakawa. The Asakawa brothers were two early advocates for traditional Korean ceramics. Noritaka reportedly surveyed 700 sites of old kilns, recovered and classified an enormous quantity of ceramic artifacts. Likely, Yu's association with the Asakawa brothers introduced him to many artifacts which Yu learned to reproduce. His association may also have led to a reported trip to Japan in 1921 to further his studies.

Some sources on the Internet credit Yu with rediscovering how to make Goryeo celadon glazed ceramic pieces in the 1920s. However, there is significant doubt that Yu deserves this credit. According to Professor Woo of the Department of Ceramics and Glass, Hongik University College and Fine Arts Curator, Korea Modern Celadon credit for that discovery should be attributed to a Japanese industrialist Tomita Gisaku. Gisaku established Tomita Co. Ltd., in the town of Nampo in South P'yong'an Province (now North Korea) in 1908. Yu's experimentation with kiln design, and clay types in the 1920s played an essential role in bringing the art form back from extinction.

Another player in bringing back Goryeo wares was Japanese tourism and the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Seoul. Mitsukoshi opened its first subbranch office in Seoul in 1906.

In 1928, Yu's celadon works were entered into the Chugai Industrial Exhibition, held in Beppu, Japan. He took the gold medal.

He dedicated himself to the restoration of the celadon genre, working first at the Songbuk kiln at the Korea Arts and Culture Research Center at the Kansong Art Museum in 1954, and later at the Korean Formal Arts Research Center in Taebang-dong. In the 1960s, he built his own kiln in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do.

According to dates he incorporated into some of his works supplied into the Japanese market, he continued working well into his 90s.

The name of his studio was Haegang (해강 ; 海剛), which was located in Gyeonggi Province outside Seoul.

He established the Haegang Research Institute in Shindun-myeon, Icheon in 1960, using the many materials he had collected over his decades of research in the field.

He was honored by the government as a Living National Treasure as holder of Intangible Cultural Property No.13 of Gyeonggi Province.


 * The museum website can be found here: Haegang Ceramics Museum
 * A film illustrating the museum's collection can be found: Haegang Ceramics Museum - YouTube

His work was documented in the film Koryo Celadon in 1979, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

His work is held in public collections, including The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (object number 1992.232) and The British Museum (object number 1992,0623.1-2)

Works
During his many decades Yu produced a great number of ceramic works including:


 * Pre-celadon works.
 * Everyday celadon wares like cups, teapots, and bowels for the local Korean market
 * Decorative celadon wares for sale at exhibitions, many of which took place in Japan
 * Large works of celadon for display at exhibitions
 * Reproductions of Korean National Treasures
 * Innovative works especially large reticulated vases