Multifaceted cultural and immigrant experiences expressed through clay bodies

Oi-ee Moo-chim examines the intimate, tactile connections that define the culinary and cultural landscapes of the immigrant experience through the Korean concept of 손맛 (sonmat), meaning “hand-flavor.” Extending beyond mere touch, this notion embodies an indescribable essence passed down through generations, often along maternal lines. It is a flavor imbued with a history and emotion that transforms simple ingredients into deeply personal expressions. Oi-ee Moo-chim refers to a common Korean side dish of thinly sliced cucumbers massaged in a chili-vinegar paste—a simple yet profoundly variable dish that tastes different in every household, shaped by the hands that prepare it.

Michael Hong showcases two bodies of work that manifest his hand-flavor through the repetition of ceramic forms: a number of abstract “self-portraits” that stand six-feet tall—Hong’s height; and a series of pots that reference traditional Korean fermentation vessels known as hangari, reimagining familiar Korean household staples and rituals through the lens of his experiences growing up in Koreatown, Los Angeles.

Hong’s ceramics embody the complex relationship between acts of labor as a survival mechanism and coping, as observed through his mother. For him, hand-flavor is both a methodology and a site of contemplation, where the physical and the cultural intertwine to depict the complex dynamics of identity, labor, and heritage.

Learn more about the artist >>