Shin Sang-ho
He is the former Dean, College of Fine Arts at Hongik University in Seoul,[1] and former Director of the Clayarch Gimhae Museum.
Shin Sang-ho was born in an area historically known as Yangju, and now known as Banghak-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
Further, without any modern equipment to throw clay or prepare it, Shin's initial foundation in ceramics used traditional, non-industrial techniques.
1973 solo exhibitions in Japan including Tokyo, Osaka, Sendai, Yamagata, and Mitsukoshi Department Store where he received an award from the Culture and Information Commissioner.
[3] In 1978 he received the Chairman's award[clarification needed] at Korea's National Folk Art Competition.
[citation needed] In 1979 Shin was part of a government team that traveled internationally to learn about ceramic production and bring the technology back to South Korea.
[9] South Korea's ambassador to Zaire, Lee Jong-eop, noticed that under the presidency of Mobutu Sese Seko, art and culture was given significant attention as a part of Zairianisation.
[10] Lee came up with the idea of sending an artist from South Korea to meet Mobutu; Shin Sang-ho was selected and subsequently Mobuto with a 60 cm tall, celadon, openwork vase as a gift.
[4] A vase by Shin was South Korea's official gift to Prince Charles and Lady Dinner Spencer at their wedding in 1982.
[4] In 1986 then Korean President Chun Doo-hwan and his wife presented Queen Elizabeth II two of Shin's vases.
[13] In the 1990s Shin began developing "fired painting" tiles used as a means to apply ceramic arts to commercial architecture.
In 2000, a particularly large example was installed within the overhead covered walkway connecting the Seoul JW Marriott Hotel.
His more difficult singe and double-openwork pieces featured sanggam style inlays appear to have been made after returning to South Korea and fired in the gas kiln he brought back from Japan.
[24] One critic wrote he 'epitomized the uniquely Korean aesthetic sensibilities, with free-flowing and generous forms in order to instill a contemporary touch.
