Ceramics is a global tradition that is intrinsically and irrevocably linked to culture. Nearly every society has a ceramic history and these stories are deeply complex and interconnected as wars are fought, borders change, and techniques and concepts are borrowed or stolen. Place and Replace explores some of this history by extracting ceramic technique from both Korean and Japanese culture and uses them to discuss displacement, adaptation, and cultural exchange. This work looks specifically at the stolen potters of the Imjin War (1592 – 1598), the Japanese fascination with Kōrai chawan, and the Korean tradition of Onggi.

While Place and Replace borrows global technique its roots are firmly planted in Australian soil. Traditionally ceramic is made from indigenous clay and is glazed with similarly local sources. Place and Replace follows that tradition by utilizing the warm, red-earth tones of locally produced terracotta, and incorporating minerals mined in South Australia into the glaze. In addition, the plant life used to decorate the vessels has been picked from introduced but thriving species indicative of Adelaide’s suburban floriculture. This is an interactive art work. All audience members are encouraged to touch and engage with the piece. The black rings below the tea bowls are instructive, showing where the object must be replaced. The similar black rings beside the large Onggi inspired vessels entice the audience to remove the lid and observe the inside.