About Shin Yeon

Shin Yeon Jeon, a ceramic artist and writer, living in Cockeysville Maryland was born in Seoul Korea and came to America in 1996. Ms. Jeon received B.F.A. in Korean Painting from Ewha Womans University in 1992, her graduate certificate in Ceramic Arts from Hood College in 2003 and earned her M.F.A. from Towson University in Maryland, 2007. She has more than 135 solo, group, invited and juried exhibitions both in Korea and the United States. Her work has been featured in numerous magazines and… more

Head Project-I

My work demonstrates commitment to sustained investigation of intellectual and emotional issues through ceramic sculpture and is divided into Four phases. The first one was personal issues such as emotions and feelings that I faced earlier from 2005 to 2010. Through the ambiguous facial expression and color exploration, I was able to express myself.
  • Triple Women
    Triple Women
    12"×25"×7½", Ceramics & Steel, 2012
  • Woman -I
    Woman -I
    19½"×9½"×8½", Ceramics, 2005
  • Two Heads
    Two Heads
    23"×14½"×12½", Ceramics, 2007
  • Portrait - IV
    Portrait - IV
    12"× 7½"× 7½", Ceramics & Steel, 2011
  • Wavy Woman (wall)-II
    Wavy Woman (wall)-II
    14.5"x9.5"x4", Ceramics, 2010
  • Portrait - V
    Portrait - V
    15"× 10½"× 8", Ceramics, 2011
  • Wavy Woman (wall)
    Wavy Woman (wall)
    14½"×14½"×4½", Ceramics, 2009
  • Disturbed Woman
    Disturbed Woman
    25”× 13" ×11", Ceramics, 2007
  • Two Heads
    Two Heads
    12” ×12” ×7½”, Ceramics & Steel, 2012
  • Woman -II
    Woman -II
    21½"×13"×12½", Ceramics, 2005

Crowd Project

In the second phase I created social commentary pieces around in 2010. Through many years of my working experience, I found that there exists the politics between people. In one of the pieces I created in the period, "Crowd V", I tried to describe what I felt by creating over 25 figurines and sculptural coil vessel forms that were reflecting the human society in skyscrapers. Through the ambiguous facial expressions, I could express the anonymity that was forced by the society and through the ridges on the vessel forms, I conveyed
"Living in the contemporary society as a human being requires many things to us. One of them is anonymity. Tall vessel forms reflect skyscrapers in a city, and the group of small figures conveys the anonymous state enforced by the society. There is a gradual transformation in figurines, from nicely modeled to blank frontal. The asymmetry of vessel forms, and their texture and ridges implies passage of unnamed lives. It leads viewers’ eye and mind to another state over the surface and the form where they can contemplate the modern society; detachment, conflicts, estrangement, anonymity and so on."
  • Crowd - I
    Crowd - I
    9”× 24½" ×10½", Ceramics, 2009
  • Crowd -III
    Crowd -III
    20"x28"x16", Ceramics, 2010
  • . Beyond Time, Beyond Thought, Beyond Feeling
    . Beyond Time, Beyond Thought, Beyond Feeling
    Detail
  • 1-18beyond-time-beyond-thought-beyondd-feeling-8x3.jpg
    1-18beyond-time-beyond-thought-beyondd-feeling-8x3.jpg
  • Crowd -IV
    Crowd -IV
    Detail
  • Crowd -IV
    Crowd -IV
    24½”× 28" ×20", Ceramics, 2010
  • Crowd - V
    Crowd - V
    detail
  • Crowd - V
    Crowd - V
    24½”× 28" ×24", Ceramics, 2010
  • Crowd -I
    Crowd -I
    detail
  • Crowd -IV
    Crowd -IV
    Detail

Head Project - II

I hit the delete button accidentally so I had to rework to create this section. It is supposed to be under the first one; Head Project - I.
  • Head 2011
    Head 2011
    6.5"x4"x5.5", ceramics, 2011
  • Heads on the Wall
    Heads on the Wall
    Gallery display scene in 2013
  • Recollection -II, back view
    Recollection -II, back view
    11” × 11” × 12”, Ceramics, 2012
  • Nostalgia
    Nostalgia
    17.5"×12"×12", Ceramics, 2013
  • Wavy Woman (wall)
    Wavy Woman (wall)
    14.5"x 29"x4.5", Casted Aluminium, 2011
  • Recollection -I
    Recollection -I
    12"×10"×8½", Ceramics, 2012
  • Recollection -II, side view
    Recollection -II, side view
    11” × 11” × 12”, Ceramics, 2012
  • Trace
    Trace
    15¼"×11"×8", Ceramics, 2012
  • Splitting Man
    Splitting Man
    12½"×8½"×8", Ceramics, 2012
  • Day Dreaming
    Day Dreaming
    15"x11"x10", Ceramics, 2009

Feeding Project

In the third phase, I have been exploring the feminine issue by creating woman’s portrait pieces and breast forms. They were displayed on the wall and floor in a gallery space as a form of installation.
One of the series, “Feeding – XII”, reflects my interest of ceramic piece on the wall. It is a sensual form of a woman that evokes emotions and feelings related to the viewer’s memory. The memory triggers its function and role in society and the physical state of being. The carnal and tactile forms are arranged in a diamond shape on the wall with sixteen pieces. The rhythm and harmony of Asian brush strokes on the surface interplays the physical and spiritual world as well as negative and positive space. The work is visually attractive and displayed gracefully in a controlled setting that invites the viewer to come closer and look. The result is the fusion of sculpture and ink drawing, exploring the intersection of different arrangements; both interlocking and integration of the physical and spiritual world of human beings.
  • Feeding - XI
    Feeding - XI
    30"×30"×3", Ceramics, 2012
  • Feeding - XIV, Site Specific Installation
    Feeding - XIV, Site Specific Installation
    53¼"×64"×3", Ceramics, 2011
  • Feeding -XII, Site Specific Installation
    Feeding -XII, Site Specific Installation
    40¼"×73"×3", Ceramics, 2011
  • Feeding -XVIII, Gallery scene
    Feeding -XVIII, Gallery scene
    15"x15"x 3", Ceramics, 2013
  • Feeding - XI, XII
    Feeding - XI, XII
    Gallery Scene, 30"×30"×3", Ceramics, 2012
  • Feeding - XI, Detail
    Feeding - XI, Detail
    Detail
  • Feeding -X
    Feeding -X
    30"×30"×3", Ceramics, 2012
  • A Day in the Studio -V
    A Day in the Studio -V
    30"×30"×3", Ceramics, 2011
  • A Day in the Studio -V, detail
    A Day in the Studio -V, detail
    detail
  • Feeding -XVII, Site Specific Installation
    Feeding -XVII, Site Specific Installation
    8'× 15'× 2.5", Ceramics, 2013

Head Totem Series

In the fourth and most recent period, I have developed the Head series further and arranged them vertically by employing a steel rod and its plate to support individual heads and a variety of organic forms.
  • Head Totem - I
    Head Totem - I
    30"×15½"×12½", Ceramics & Steel, 2012
  • Head Totem - VII
    Head Totem - VII
    32"×12"×12", Ceramics & Steel, 2013
  • Head Totem - VI
    Head Totem - VI
    34"×12"×12", Ceramics, 2013
  • Head Totem - I, III, V
    Head Totem - I, III, V
    Gallery scene
  • Head Totem - V
    Head Totem - V
    29"×12"×12", Ceramics & Steel, 2013
  • Head Totem - II, III
    Head Totem - II, III
    Gallery scene
  • Head Totem -III, detail
    Head Totem -III, detail
    38"×14½"×11½", Ceramics & Steel, 2012
  • Head Totem - III
    Head Totem - III
    38"×14½"×11½", Ceramics & Steel, 2012
  • Head Totem - I, detail
    Head Totem - I, detail
    30"×15½"×12½", Ceramics & Steel, 2012
  • Head Totem - VII, detail
    Head Totem - VII, detail
    Detail