{"id":1824707,"date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1824707"},"modified":"2026-03-13T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T21:00:00","slug":"in-life-forms-janny-baek-imagines-a-speculative-landscape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1824707","title":{"rendered":"In \u2018Life Forms,\u2019 Janny Baek Imagines a Speculative Landscape"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-7.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a ceramic head sculpture by Janny Baek with various floral forms emerging\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cDream State\u201d (2024),<br \/>\nstoneware and glaze, 21 x 24 x 24 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and Joy Machine, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">In \u2018Life Forms,\u2019 Janny Baek Imagines a Speculative Landscape<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-03-13T11:01:00-05:00\">March 13, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><a class=\"category-partner\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/partner\/\" rel=\"tag\">Partner<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/joymachine\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Joy Machine<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F03%2Fjanny-baek-life-forms-ceramic-sculpture%2F&amp;title=In%20%26%238216%3BLife%20Forms%2C%27%20Janny%20Baek%20Imagines%20a%20Speculative%20Landscape\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"471128\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/joymachine.art\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Joy Machine<\/a> is pleased to present\u00a0<em>Life Forms<\/em>, a solo exhibition by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jannybaek.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Janny Baek<\/a>, on view from March 20 to May 9, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>How do we conceive of change? With fear, excitement, or uncertainty? As Janny Baek builds sculptural ceramics of speculative beings and imagined landscapes, she grapples with these questions. The work follows its own dream logic, one that accepts incongruity and dissonance as necessary to play and experimentation. Marbling hunks of colored clay, coiling bases, and molding a singular material into something new is part of an exploratory practice that embraces transformation and its often strange outcomes.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471128\" title=\"Detail of \u201cDream State\u201d (2024)\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cDream State\u201d (2024)\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cDream State\u201d (2024)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-1.jpg\" alt=\"detail of a ceramic head sculpture by Janny Baek with various floral forms emerging \" class=\"wp-image-471217\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cDream State\u201d (2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>Life Forms<\/em>\u00a0emerges from this dual meaning, invoking both the act of creation and the fantastical works it produces. Neither wholly abstract nor representational, Baek\u2019s sculptures draw on natural structures and processes and invite us to question how we interpret the world around us. Recognizable forms like open blossoms, birds, and creatures are met with the unexpected. These lively components make even the more abstract works appear animate, like ambiguous organisms that might decide to scuttle away. They evoke something primordial and yet are exhilaratingly new.<\/p>\n<p>Baek paints in the way she sketches, as a means of developing ideas and visualizing their potential. For her ceramics, she incorporates hand building alongside the Japanese pottery technique known as\u00a0nerikomi, which involves splicing and designing patterns with strips of colored clay. \u201cMy material choices are a way of thinking about natural processes: color gradients as the continuous nature of change, a multitude of colors as potential, abundance, and vitality, and patterns as signals and communications,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Hovering between worlds, Baek\u2019s work populates a speculative environment in which beings morph, mutate, and blossom, their individual features forming an otherworldly lineage that\u2019s recognizable but not identical. While \u201ctemporarily and imperfectly captured in a moment of many possible transformations,\u201d the works beckon us into a world in which change is not only inevitable but also the most alluring proposition.<\/p>\n<p><em>Life Forms<\/em>\u00a0is Baek\u2019s Chicago debut. <a href=\"https:\/\/luma.com\/cosjz5v1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">An opening reception<\/a> will be held on March 20, and the artist will be present.\u00a0See more from Baek <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/janny-baek\/\">previously on Colossal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-8.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471128\" title=\"\u201cFuture Blossoms\u201d (2023), colored porcelain, 13 x 13 x 12 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cFuture Blossoms\u201d (2023), colored porcelain, 13 x 13 x 12 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cFuture Blossoms\u201d (2023), colored porcelain, 13 x 13 x 12 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-8.jpg\" alt=\"a ceramic flower sculpture by Janny Baek\" class=\"wp-image-471230\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cFuture Blossoms\u201d (2023), colored porcelain, 13 x 13 x 12 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471128\" title=\"\u201cLandscape\u201d (2025), colored stoneware with glazed interior, 15 x 8 x 8 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cLandscape\u201d (2025), colored stoneware with glazed interior, 15 x 8 x 8 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cLandscape\u201d (2025), colored stoneware with glazed interior, 15 x 8 x 8 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-5.jpg\" alt=\"a ceramic sculpture by Janny Baek with patterned colorful clay and a blue bird form emerging from a lighter blue flower\" class=\"wp-image-471221\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cLandscape\u201d (2025), colored stoneware with glazed interior, 15 x 8 x 8 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471128\" title=\"Detail of \u201cDream State\u201d (2024)\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cDream State\u201d (2024)\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cDream State\u201d (2024)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-6.jpg\" alt=\"detail of a ceramic head sculpture by Janny Baek with various floral forms emerging \" class=\"wp-image-471222\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cDream State\u201d (2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-9.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471128\" title=\"\u201cDream State 2\u201d (2025), stoneware, colored slip, porcelain, and glaze, 21 x 17 x 16 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cDream State 2\u201d (2025), stoneware, colored slip, porcelain, and glaze, 21 x 17 x 16 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cDream State 2\u201d (2025), stoneware, colored slip, porcelain, and glaze, 21 x 17 x 16 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-9.jpg\" alt=\"a ceramic head sculpture by Janny Baek with various floral forms emerging\" class=\"wp-image-471231\" style=\"width:611px;height:auto\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cDream State 2\u201d (2025), stoneware, colored slip, porcelain, and glaze, 21 x 17 x 16 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471128\" title=\"Detail of \u201cLandscape\u201d (2025)\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cLandscape\u201d (2025)\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cLandscape\u201d (2025)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-2.jpg\" alt=\"a detail of a ceramic sculpture by Janny Baek with patterned colorful clay and a blue bird form emerging from a lighter blue flower\" class=\"wp-image-471218\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cLandscape\u201d (2025)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471128\" title=\"\u201cPlant Life\u201d (2025), stoneware, colored stoneware, and glaze, 21.5 x 15 x 15 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cPlant Life\u201d (2025), stoneware, colored stoneware, and glaze, 21.5 x 15 x 15 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cPlant Life\u201d (2025), stoneware, colored stoneware, and glaze, 21.5 x 15 x 15 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-3.jpg\" alt=\"a ceramic sculpture by Janny Baek with colorful organic forms emerging from white shoots\" class=\"wp-image-471219\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cPlant Life\u201d (2025), stoneware, colored stoneware, and glaze, 21.5 x 15 x 15 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471128\" title=\"Detail of \u201cPlant Life\u201d (2025)\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cPlant Life\u201d (2025)\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cPlant Life\u201d (2025)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/baek-4.jpg\" alt=\"a detail of a ceramic sculpture by Janny Baek with colorful organic forms emerging from white shoots\" class=\"wp-image-471220\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cPlant Life\u201d (2025)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<nav class=\"navigation post-navigation\" role=\"navigation\">\n<div class=\"nav-links\">\n<div class=\"nav-previous\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/03\/tomas-saraceno-art-21-film\/\" rel=\"prev\">Next article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cDream State\u201d (2024), stoneware and glaze, 21 x 24 x 24 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and Joy Machine, shared with permission In \u2018Life Forms,\u2019 Janny Baek Imagines a Speculative Landscape March 13, 2026 ArtPartner Joy Machine Share Email Bookmark Joy Machine is pleased to present\u00a0Life Forms, a solo exhibition by Janny Baek, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-1824707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1824707","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1824707"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1824707\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1824707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1824707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1824707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}