Father and son featured in Korean ceramics exhibit showcasing unique art form in Fullerton

FULLERTON, Calif. (KABC) -- One-of-kind, intricate pieces of Korean ceramics are being showcased at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton for the first time.

"Story of a Thousand Years" features work from Dr. Dohun Kim and his father.

"My father's name is Kim Se-Yong. The last name, the last Yong, means dragon. So it's a symbol of his design," Kim said.

The pottery exhibition displays the 1,000 years of history of the ceramic art form.

It is known as Korean Goryeo celadon, or greenware, because of the pieces' recognizable blue-green tint.

"We found how to make it, the techniques; changed the compound of the clay and glaze and changing the processing or the firing," Kim said.

He said his father mastered the unique technique after years of trial and error and made it modern.

"My father taught me about 30 years ago when I was a kid and I grew up in my father's studio," he said.

The Muckenthaler Cultural Center's 52-piece collection includes what Kim calls the largest celadon vase in the world.

He said it took a decade to make after many failures.

"So sometimes she leans, sometimes collapse, sometimes broken. So we find how to make it after five years," Kim said.

He said his family's craftsmanship is hard to replicate and he's excited to finally get a chance to show it off in the United States.

The celadon exhibition at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center will be on display until May 26 before going on an East Coast tour.