{"id":1850603,"date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1850603"},"modified":"2026-03-27T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T21:00:00","slug":"painterly-figures-entwine-in-soojin-chois-ceramic-sculptures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1850603","title":{"rendered":"Painterly Figures Entwine in Soojin Choi\u2019s Ceramic Sculptures"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2466\" height=\"2768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/choi-5.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a figurative clay sculpture by Soojin Choi that looks like a three-dimensional drawing of twisted limbs and two faces\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cYou Are Here\u201d (2023), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 29 x 24 x 9.5 inches. All images courtesy of Soojin Choi, 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\">Painterly Figures Entwine in Soojin Choi\u2019s Ceramic Sculptures<\/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=\"2026-03-27T09:07:16-05:00\">March 27, 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><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/gebert\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Grace Ebert<\/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%2Fsoojin-choi-ceramic-sculpture%2F&amp;title=Painterly%20Figures%20Entwine%20in%20Soojin%20Choi%27s%20Ceramic%20Sculptures\" 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-pinterest has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F03%2Fsoojin-choi-ceramic-sculpture%2F&amp;description=Painterly%20Figures%20Entwine%20in%20Soojin%20Choi%27s%20Ceramic%20Sculptures&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F03%2Fchoi-5-960x1078.jpg\" aria-label=\"Pin\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-Qnh6AeGr\" data-rl_title data-rl_caption title><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tPin\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=\"471939\" 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>\u201cMy process is a constant negotiation with gravity,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soojinchoi.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Soojin Choi<\/a>. The artist creates intimate ceramic sculptures depicting a pair entwined in an unknottable embrace, their limbs a seemingly endless tangle. With pockets of negative space peeking through, the characters pose in a precarious balance. \u201cI intentionally minimize ground contact to prioritize the specific gestures and the psychological tension between the two figures, giving the work a sense of lightness and emotional presence,\u201d the artist adds.<\/p>\n<p>A long-time resident artist at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theclaystudio.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Clay Studio<\/a> in Philadelphia, Choi is formally trained as a painter, a background that informs the sweeping, gestural marks of her pieces. The figures are depicted as three-dimensional line drawings with the quick outlines in a darker hue, while visible brushstrokes and drips layer atop a coat of white slip. \u201cI prefer surface finishes that feel active and tactile, allowing the traces of my hand and the movement of the material to remain visible on the final sculpture,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/choi-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471939\" title=\"\u201cBlush Back\u201d (2025), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 29 x 27.5 x 20 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cBlush Back\u201d (2025), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 29 x 27.5 x 20 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cBlush Back\u201d (2025), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 29 x 27.5 x 20 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1945\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/choi-4.jpg\" alt=\"a figurative clay sculpture by Soojin Choi that looks like a three-dimensional drawing of twisted limbs\" class=\"wp-image-471944\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cBlush Back\u201d (2025), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 29 x 27.5 x 20 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Choi begins with an idea of how the two figures will interact and what ambiguous moment they might create. As she carves their forms from stoneware slabs and strengthens them with nylon strands, the initial plan often veers in another direction. \u201cWhat I find most exciting is that the figures\u2019 gestures often evolve and shift during the construction process,\u201d she says, adding that the \u201cgray area\u201d of human emotion is where she strives to end up.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, Choi is exploring the unpredictability of glazes and how they can offer a dynamic quality. \u201cWhat fascinates me about glaze\u2014unlike the more direct application of paint\u2014is how subtle shifts in chemical ratios and kiln heat produce radically different, often unpredictable outcomes,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/johanssonprojects.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Johansson Projects<\/a> will present the artist\u2019s work in a duo show next month, and she has another group show slated for September at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesaartscenter.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mesa Contemporary Art Museum<\/a>. Head to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/soojinchoiii\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a> to see more of her process.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/choi-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471939\" title=\"\u201cHold Me Not\u201d (2025), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 25 x 24 x 14 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cHold Me Not\u201d (2025), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 25 x 24 x 14 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cHold Me Not\u201d (2025), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 25 x 24 x 14 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2311\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/choi-3.jpg\" alt=\"a figurative clay sculpture by Soojin Choi that looks like a three-dimensional drawing of twisted limbs and two faces\" class=\"wp-image-471943\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cHold Me Not\u201d (2025), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 25 x 24 x 14 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/choi-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471939\" title=\"\u201cI Found You Out\u201d (2024), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 40 x 21 x 27 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cI Found You Out\u201d (2024), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 40 x 21 x 27 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cI Found You Out\u201d (2024), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 40 x 21 x 27 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2621\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/choi-1.jpg\" alt=\"a figurative clay sculpture by Soojin Choi that looks like a three-dimensional drawing of twisted limbs\" class=\"wp-image-471942\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cI Found You Out\u201d (2024), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 40 x 21 x 27 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/chio-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471939\" title=\"\u201cNo One Needs to Know\u201d (2024), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 40 x 31 x 28 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cNo One Needs to Know\u201d (2024), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 40 x 31 x 28 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cNo One Needs to Know\u201d (2024), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 40 x 31 x 28 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2588\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/chio-2.jpg\" alt=\"a figurative clay sculpture by Soojin Choi that looks like a three-dimensional drawing of twisted limbs\" class=\"wp-image-471941\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cNo One Needs to Know\u201d (2024), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 40 x 31 x 28 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/choi-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-471939\" title=\"\u201cWhat I Forgot To Say\u201d (2025), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 30.5 x 20 x 19 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cWhat I Forgot To Say\u201d (2025), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 30.5 x 20 x 19 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cWhat I Forgot To Say\u201d (2025), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 30.5 x 20 x 19 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2045\" height=\"3091\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/choi-6.jpg\" alt=\"a figurative clay sculpture by Soojin Choi that looks like a three-dimensional drawing of twisted limbs on a white pedestal with a painting and additional floral sculptures behind it\" class=\"wp-image-471946\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cWhat I Forgot To Say\u201d (2025), slip and underglaze on stoneware, 30.5 x 20 x 19 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow 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All images courtesy of Soojin Choi, shared with permission Painterly Figures Entwine in Soojin Choi\u2019s Ceramic Sculptures March 27, 2026 Art Grace Ebert Share Pin Email Bookmark \u201cMy process is a constant negotiation with gravity,\u201d says Soojin Choi. The artist [&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-1850603","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\/1850603","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=1850603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1850603\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1850603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1850603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1850603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}