An Homage to Yugi

My Korean American identity is also a melding—the outcome of forging two different cultures together. Not fully belonging to either, I gained the ability to adapt to and embody both cultural perspectives as I formed my own hybrid identity. Practicing pottery and meditation connects me with my Eastern roots while I live within my Western context.

I spent some time in my mid-20s living in a Zen Buddhist monastery in Northern California. As students of meditation, we would have one-on-one dialogues about our practice with senior dharma teachers. During one of these encounters, I sought guidance on how I could achieve my ideal form of living. My teacher’s response baffled me at the time: in order to achieve what I wanted, I had to let go of wanting. It wasn’t until later that I came to understand that this was a teaching about presence—an essential practice in both meditation and pottery. In my first months of learning to throw on the wheel, I had a realization that centering wasn’t achieved through force or intellectual understanding. Instead, it was a result of presence. As I let go of my desire to control the clay and brought my attention back to my posture, the quality of my breathing, and the pressure of my palms on the surface of the clay, centering took place. Centering required letting go of my thoughts and returning to my body.

The hammering of bangjja yugi can be seen as an act of centering. More than the mind’s knowledge, it requires the knowledge embedded in the body: the feel of synchronized movements in the process of making, the sounds of the metal being struck, and an intuitive understanding of the material through the sense of touch. Embodied knowledge is acquired through mindful presence and patient repetition. Maintaining and caring for yugi also requires presence. The bronze must be polished frequently by hand to preserve its lustrous golden surface, and it needs to be stored properly in a dry environment to prevent rusting. Caring for the yugi brings it to life, deepening its value and creating a richer experience when you use it.

Craft isn’t only a form of artmaking; it’s a transformative human ritual that forges connections between the past, present, and future. Through working with clay and embodying the knowledge of my ancestors, I am able to connect with the lineage of potters who came before me. Caring for and maintaining crafted objects, such as yugi tableware, that are specifically intended for rituals allows me to connect with my past in another way, and to carry those rituals forward to future generations. Yugi, which from one point of view is simple tableware, is also an embodiment of these powerful ways of relating to time. Together they form an invisible web of cultural connections that help me define who I am.

Angel Yoon Kyung Cho is a designer, potter, and artist. In her work she explores the creative process as a tool for reflection and speculation. She received her BFA in graphic design from Rhode Island School of Design and studied pottery at Penland School of Craft.