In summer, you may have taken a trip to Gerswalde for Parg, Kombini or Grosser Garten. Through fall, foggy mornings start to set in and the garden growth takes rest. Around the corner though, Jeong Hwa Min and Hyemi Cho spend their days at their wheels – throwing clay and perfecting their ceramic artist. An illustrator and photographer, this duo, both from Korea, serendipitously met in Gerswalde. They connected on the way they see the world, and the fact that they were both doing ceramics at home and in need of a place to fire their work. They came up with a solution: On Studio.On 에 in Korean means warmth and wholeness. It’s a homage to the warmth of a potter’s hands as they begin to mold their clay, and the tactile warmth they hope those who enjoy their work will feel from their pieces. As we walk into their studio, we’re welcomed by Jeong to a space that houses their work – bowls, plates, candleholders, jugs and vases sit on shelves and tables with elegance and consideration. The pieces are, as they tell us, a blend of their Korean roots and German practicality – the aesthetic and shapes a mixture where both meet. The warmth is tangible: some pieces are odd, elongated shapes, while other are understated – a white brushed line across the middle of a plate, a speckled glaze around a mug. The space is a shop but also a studio. In two corners are wheels where the pair make their work. Cutters, carvers and cloths sit in arms reach. There are testing squares for glazes, and pieces awaiting glazes on a rack by the kiln. They also offer private classes here and small, tailored group workshops. The space has been a cafe, gallery, hotel and even a movie theater, but for the last three years it’s been home to the studio, where all are invited to have a coffee, a conversation and fill their hands with the warmth of On.
Text & Photos: Savannah van der Niet
On Studio, Dorfmitte 7, 17268 Gerswalde; map
Open in summer, and by appointment in winter.
@on_studio.de
