Artist: KyoungHwa Oh

KyoungHwa Oh, COLORADO

View Artist's Available Work

 

BIO

KyoungHwa Oh was born in Seoul, Korea, where she spent her childhood and naturally developed a connection to traditional Korean ceramics (Koryo Celadon). Oh studied fashion design in Korea and worked for five years as a designer before coming to the United States to gain more design experience. While in the United States, she became interested in working with clay and changed her plans to study ceramics. 

KyoungHwa Oh is a Professor of Art at Colorado Mesa University.

After receiving her MFA degree, Oh worked as a Visiting Resident Artist at Midwestern State University in Wichita Fall, Texas from 2009 to 2011. She started at CMU as the Art and Design Department’s first Visiting-Artist-in-Residence in Fall 2011, as part of an initiative to expose art students to unique artistic approaches. She joined the department as an Assistant Professor in 2014 and am a ceramics-based studio artist who teaches both ceramics and foundation courses in the Art and Design Department. Oh has been included in many juried and invitational exhibitions throughout the United Stated, China, Turkey, and Canada. The ICMEA (International Ceramic Magazine Educators Association) recognized her as an emerging artist in 2010 and Oh has also received the Ceramic Monthly Emerging Artist Award in 2012, was named one of three NC Pottery Conference Demonstrating Artists in 2022, received the McKnight Artist Award in 2024, and served as an artist-in-residency for 3 months at the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, MN, in 2025. I was invited to the 2026 American Pottery Festival and the 2027 Dallas Pottery Invitational as an artist.        

 

ARTIST STATEMENT

My ceramic practice is a dialogue between my cultural heritage and contemporary life, manifesting in functional and sculptural carved porcelain. Each piece begins on the wheel before being transformed through meticulous cutting, carving, and the addition of clay to redefine its form. Through this process, I explore the relationship between positive and negative space and engage in physical meditation on the balance of fullness and emptiness. By harmonizing traditional Korean motifs with contemporary Western aesthetics, my work serves as a symbolic bridge. Much like Yin and Yang, these pieces
embody the intersection of ancient Asian values and the pulse of modern Western society.

 

EDUCATION

• Master of Fine Art - Ceramics, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois, 2008
• Bachelor of Fine Art – Concentrated in Ceramics Washburn University Topeka, Kansas - Art Department Honor, 2004 

Permanent Collections 

• Mulvane Art Museum, Washburn University, Topeka, KS. Pitchers
• Sabatini Gallery, The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, Topeka, KS. Movement of Nature 5
• Mabee Library, Washburn University, Topeka, KS. Movement of Nature 6
• University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL. Movement of Nature 15
• Robert T. Soppelsa (Senior Curator, U.S. Department of State), Washington, DC. Movement of Nature 2
• David Armstrong (President AMOCA), Pomona, CA. Water Flower #1
• Julie Brooks (Laguna Clay Company), CA, Splash#1
• Sue and Christoper Bancroft (Board of the DMA) Collection, TC, Nature to Vessel#11
• University of Texas at San Antonio, Ceramics Department, TX, Influenced III
• Northwest Vista College, Ceramics Department, TX, Blue Stone#5
• Midwestern State University, Ceramics Department, TX, Influenced I
• The International Museum of Dinnerware Design (IMoDD) Permanent Collection, Ann Arbor, MI, Pure Blue Butter dish
• Everson Museum, Rosenfield Collection, Syracuse, NY, Movement of Nature Tumbler_Blue
• Daum Museum, Sedalia, MO, Influenced_Kiss and Influenced IV

Professional Experience

• Guest Artist for 2026 American Pottery Festival, Sept. 2026 (Scheduled) Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
• McKnight Award ($6000.00) with three-month Residency, July – Sept. 2025 Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Visiting Artist Demonstration and Lecture, June 28th – 29th, 2025 (Scheduled) Fire Me Up Ceramics & Fine Art Studio, Topeka, KS
• Visiting Artist Demonstration and Lecture, July 5th - 7th, 2024 Nantucket Island School of Design & the Art (NISDA), Nantucket Island, MA
• NISDA, Clay Symposium and Artist Residency (Short-Term/Summer – July), 2024 Nantucket Island School of Design & the Art (NISDA), Nantucket Island, MA
• Curating a Group Exhibition and Clay Symposium:영감을 주는… Inspirational…, Heesoo Lee, Kyungmin Park, Ashtonn Means, and KyoungHwa Oh, Sept. 2, 2023 Western Colorado Center for the Art, Grand Junction, CO
• Visiting Artist Lecture, June 22, 2023 STARworksCenter fir Creative Enterprise, Star, NC
• STARwrosk Artist Residency (Short-Term / summer – June 5 – July 7), 2023 STARworks Center, Star, NC
• Visiting Artist Workshop & Lecture, Oct. 21, 2022 Arapahoe Community College, Littleton, CO
• NC Potters Conference, Demonstrating Artist, March 3-6, 2022 North Carolina Pottery Center, Seagrove, NC
• International Artist residency (Short-Term / Summer – June), 2020 – Canceled by COVID-19 Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center, Skælskør, Denmark
• Visiting Artist Lecture, Oct. 2019 Western Colorado Center for the Arts, Grand Junction, CO
• International Artist Lecture, June 2019 The Potter Workshop Education Center, Jingdezhen, China
• International Artist Residency (Short-Term / summer - June), 2019 The Pottery Workshop, Jingdezhen, China
• Artist in Residence 2018 Red Lodge Clay Center, Red Lodge, MT
• Artist in Residency at Tethon 3D (Ceramics 3D Printing), summer 2016 Omaha, NE
• Visiting Artist Lecture “Influenced”, 2015 Western Colorado Center for the Arts, Grand Junction, CO
• Artist in Residency (Short – term / summer - June), 2014 Medalta International Artist in Residency, Medicine Hat, Canada
• 2Days Visiting Artist Workshop / Lecture, 2013 Colorado Mountain College in Rifle
• Artist in Residence (Short-Term / summer - June), 2013 Red Lodge Clay Center, Red Lodge, MT
• Juror, the 36th Annual Juried Colorado MESA University Art Student Exhibition, 2012 Western Colorado Center for the Arts, grand Junction, CO
• Visiting Artist Workshop / Lecture, 2012 Western Colorado Center for the Arts, Grand Junction, CO
• Visiting Artist in Residence, 2011 – 2013 Colorado MESA University, Grand Junction, CO
• Visiting Artist Lecture, 2011 Northwest Vista College, San Antonio, TX
• Visiting Artist Workshop / Lecture, 2011 University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
• Visiting Artist Lecture, 2010 Southern Hills Elementary School, Wichita Falls, TX
• Visiting Artist in Residence, 2009 to 2011 Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX
• Artist in Residence (Short-Term), 2009 Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale, NY