Amidst the Green-House at Green-Wood, a striking installation by Jean Shin features nearly two tons of porcelain fragments. These shards, including broken cups, saucers, and pots, form a sprawling pair of vessels that cascade into a shimmering green pool.
Celadon Landscape marks one of Shin’s latest explorations into transforming singular materials into expansive sculptures. In her New York studio, discarded objects that retain traces of their past uses are transformed into dynamic artworks that delve into themes of consumption, environmental stewardship, and community.
This installation is the second iteration of Celadon Landscape, inspired by Shin’s interactions with ceramicists in South Korea. The long history of Celadon production in the region dates back to at least the 10th century. As Shin encountered the discarded heaps of imperfect pieces, she saw the pale green-blue material as a metaphor for belonging, repair, and the diaspora.
“Celadon vases are deeply revered in Korean culture—carefully crafted and preserved,” Shin remarks. “In Celadon Landscape, I focus on what is usually discarded: thousands of broken ceramic shards. I see beauty in their imperfection—fragments that still carry the memory of Korea’s enduring legacy.”
Using materials donated by studios near Icheon, Shin crafted two bulbous vessels covered in patterned, painted, stamped, and textured pottery shards. These mosaic forms rest on their sides, emerging from the ground like archaeological finds. None of the vessels—original or reconstructed—is whole, suggesting a renewed form of fragmentation.
Produced by Miotto Mosaics Art Studios, Inc., Celadon Landscape will be on display in New York, where Shin is based, until January 17. Follow her work on Instagram.
