A Studio Visit with Mirena Kim

Photo by Staci Valentine

On the morning of my visit to Mirena Kim's studio, Los Angeles was cloud covered and gray, an unusual state of being for the typically sunny city. Cooler, wet weather allows for longer drying times for green ware waiting to be bisque fired, and in this case it also seemed to allow for a  more leisurely pace to the morning. Mirena greeted me, holding a mug of her own creation, steaming with coffee.

Mirena's studio is primarily a working space, but the entrance is a welcoming alcove of her creations, on display in groupings of shapes, sizes, and glazes. Forms are crowded together, resembling gatherings of people; some taller than others, some slightly thicker, but all similar in basic form.

The emphasis on form is important for Mirena, building cylinders into vases and lamps with simple, clean lines. 

It is no mistake that her forms look like gatherings of people on her display shelves; she thinks of her creations as anthropomorphic. Her vessels are even given human names.

This is Gedde.

 Ruth.

Madrona.

Vessel photos are from the artist's website.

 Mirena's glazes compliment the forms; mostly earth tones or clean white or black, which makes the occasional pops of color all the more exciting.

A designer first, Mirena's forms are planned in advance and diagrams line the wall by her wheel. Her designs are planned with function in mind. Vases specifically meant for holding one simple branch, or very tall vessels that will be wired to become lamps.

How the piece will interact with the user is at the forefront of Mirena's mind. The design of her squeeze cup is a prime example of this; finger holds are placed into the mug for the user to hold on to the mug, literally placing their hands into the finger prints of the potter. 

Though she has added handles to some of her mugs at the request of clients, she continues to return to her original squeeze design. When I arrived at the studio, a batch of darkly glazed squeeze cups were cooling in the backyard kiln.

At the end of our visit Mirena talked to me about some of her influences, thumbing through books about Heath Ceramics and Finnish design. She was so kind and generous with her time, though I could tell she had deadlines to meet and sales to get packaged and shipped. If you are interested in purchasing any of Mirena's work there are several shops online and in person that stock her wares, a list can be found here, or a prearranged visit can be made to her studio.

Mirena hosts two sales per year, one around Thanksgiving and one around Mother's day. If you are interested in joining her mailing list for notifications about sales you can email her at info@mirenakim.com. She is also a regular poster on Instagram, you can find her listed under mirenakimceramics, and she often posts images of her work and the studio.

"Heaven" by Rebekah Bogard

 Ceramist Rebekah Bogard skillfully creates colorful dream worlds that confront the viewer with contradictions. In her latest installation “Heaven,” Bogard has transformed the interior of an old bank vault into a botanical garden from another world. Jewel toned jagged leafed plants with extended limbs tower over the mystical forest floor, scattered with botanical specimens lit from within like little campfires. Warm candlelight projects into the space from leaf shaped sconces along the walls.

The fire becomes an element of the installation; light emanates from inside the plants to fend off the surrounding darkness. “As humans,” stated the artist, “we must carry our own light to guide us through uncertain terrain, both physically and metaphorically.  After going through uncertain times, I learned to foster my own light from within.  Fire is used as a metaphor for self assurance as well as a torch used for metaphysical guidance.”

This installation is a departure from Bogard’s typical exploration of animal subjects. In “Heaven” there are still animals, mostly in the shadows, but they are no longer large scale or brightly glazed. Many of the rodent sized creatures are dark and gremlin-like, and those that are not appear to be simply observers of the room. This mystical garden oasis is a welcome retreat into the artist’s vision of heaven on earth.

“Heaven” is on view at the American Museum of Ceramic Arts in Pomona CA until November 16th.

All photos, courtesy of the artist’s website www.rebekahbogard.com.

Pot Heads: A New Wave of Ceramic Artist in Los Angeles

“Pot Heads: A New Wave of Ceramics Artists in Los Angeles” is an exhibit that explores the ceramics world as it exists in Los Angeles today.

Curator Andrea Arria-Devoe has selected eight of the best ceramic artists currently working in Los Angeles:

Dora De Larios & Irving Place Studio

 Kat & Roger

Mirena Kim

 Heather Levine

Ben Medansky

Victoria Morris

 

Sunja Park

and Pilar Wiley. 

All eight artists were selected as examples of the resurgence in the popularity of hand-thrown, functional ceramics, and all of the selected works for Pot Heads were created as unique pieces. Though several of the artists have ventured into the world of retail, mass production, ceramics. This is an important note about the "Pot Heads" exhibit; when I spoke with Andrea Arria-Devoe, she mentioned that the exhibit is intended to address a common debate in the ceramics community, can an artist be creative and also run a successful business? Or are they selling out by venturing into mass production?

Mirena Kim mentioned to me that she had been involved in production for the Heath company in Los Angeles. Heath has produced dinner ware since the 1940s, as well as a line of decorative vases, and tiles. After a change in ownership in 2003, the company has continued to produce tableware and tile designs.

The Heath company has it's own fascinating history, addressed in their self published book "Heath Ceramics: The Complexity of Simplicity". Most notably The Heath Company designed and created the tiles that adorn the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Calif.

When I visited Mirena in her studio she was in full blown production mode; she and her assistant were preparing to ship a large number of cups, plates, and bowls to a customer. The two of them were also getting ready for her annual pre-holiday sale, which is this weekend if you are in Los Angeles and interested.

Mirena Kim, walks the line of production and design confidently. She meticulously designs each item before she creates them; diagrams with measurements line the wall next to her wheel. She and her assistant churn out large numbers of cups, bowls, and vases, but they are all created by hand. No molds or production line machines are used in her studio. When asked about her theory as to why the ceramics community is now experiencing this renaissance she stated, “I believe it’s connected to the slow food movement. There is a new appreciation that came with that [movement], people want to appreciate every aspect of the dinning experience. Quality, handmade ceramics becomes a part of the experience.”
 
Dora De Larios, featured artist and co-founder of Irving Place Studios, is representative of the other side of this debate. De Larios has been sculpting for six decades, and  her career accomplishments are varied, but the majority of her critically acclaimed work is sculptural and nonfunctional.

Despite being a sculptor rather than a retail giant, De Larios & Irving Place studios have seen no slump in success. Most notably, her work has been featured in exhibits at the Los Angeles County Museum, The Autry, The White House, and sent to  the city of Nagoya Japan as a gift from the City of Los Angeles.

As a whole, the exhibition does a good job of introducing the work of the eight featured artists, but there are no pieces of production ware to contrast the sculptural pieces. Without further narrative, the debate is overtly one sided. The casual observer, new to ceramics, could easily miss the discussion this installation is intended to spark.

All of these artists do sell their work, and most of it can be found for sale on their websites.



“Pot Heads: A New Wave of Ceramics Artists in Los Angeles” is now on view at the Design Matters Gallery, on 11527 West Pico Blvd. until Nov. 16.