Jane Yang D’Haene

Jane Yang-D’Haene’s work in stoneware is profoundly influenced by her Korean heritage, particularly traditional ceramic forms such as the dal hang-ari (Moon Jar), an iconic symbol of Korean culture. Her vessels, though rooted in these historical forms, diverge significantly as she delves into the realms of surface textures, movements, and tonal shifts. This experimentation lends her creations a unique sculptural quality, allowing her to craft planetary forms that mimic the earth and reflect the origins of the clay she uses.

By transforming the emotional experiences of memory into physical forms, D'Haene creates new visions of place and self through abstraction and experimentation. Each piece in her series represents an integral part of her narrative, symbolizing the relationship between the human mind and its body, and how our physical selves conceal and reflect our inner worlds of thoughts, feelings, and memories.

Departing from her roots as a South Korean artist, D’Haene has positioned herself as a neo-practitioner. She incorporates her own language and life experiences into three-dimensional investigations of pain, joy, and wonder. By working within a historical narrative, D’Haene pushes the formal boundaries of her medium, elevating her work and presenting a conceptual challenge to the viewer. By confronting traditional forms, she highlights her innovations, embracing imperfection as a source of beauty. The anomalies created during firing—a process rife with chance—are celebrated, capturing their aesthetic value. Her vessels balance opposing forces, appearing both terrestrial and other-worldly, abstracted yet functional. Though derived from tradition, her work is unmistakably unconventional.

What makes these pieces so appealing is their familiarity—the identification with a form so ingrained in our perception of pottery that, at first glance, we may not even notice the deeply personal markings. The thickness, looseness, and roughness of her work convey a raw authenticity. This is not “easy” decorative art; it is edgy, spirited, and genuine. Yet, we cannot look away. The artist uses all her emotional resources in her quest for perfection—not of symmetry and modulation, but of feeling, expressiveness, and the way the piece reveals her truth.

As all artists must, D’Haene reckons with the long history of her medium. She embraces the framework of this history while simultaneously pushing against it, using tradition as a vehicle for innovation. D’Haene situates herself not merely as a designer working within the confines of her medium, but as an artist actively toying with its conceptual and technical possibilities. Her work invites viewers to think beyond aesthetic form and emotional function, innovating within a foundational ceramic tradition.

Through her art, Jane Yang-D'Haene masterfully bridges the past and the present, tradition, and innovation, crafting pieces that are both deeply personal and universally resonant. She continues to transform the landscape of contemporary ceramics, one vessel at a time.