Korean Job Discussion Forums

jessie-b · Joined: 17 Apr 2006

I'm going to teach in South Korea this September hopefully, and am wondering if anyone has any experience taking pottery classes there. Not sure where I want to teach. I've been doing wheel and handbuilding here in the States, am still a beginner, and am hoping to continue overseas. Any words on classes or open studios or artists I can research would be helpful.
Thanks.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

There is a place in Busan where you can do your work. There is also a cool artists village outside Daejon where you can take lessons and hang out with other potters. But you need a car that can handle unpaved roads to get there.

Hyeon Een · Joined: 24 Jun 2005

I lived in a small city (about 65,000) and there were pottery classes held at the local library. A foreign friend of mine took classes there and made bowls and ashtrays and things. I imagine you can find pottery classes in almost any city. Finding someone who knows how to find the classes though may be difficult. You'll probably be best off asking other foreigners.. I tend to find Koreans completely clueless about where or how to do anything strangely enough.

chotaerang · Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Location: In the gym

I just took a class last week in bang-bae dong; a district in southern Seoul. It was 20 000 won plus material costs for class where I worked all day, and made 8 cups. When you get here, ask a Korean to Naver �ҿ� (or Pm me and I'll dig up the number for you). Best of luck with centering.

jessie-b · Joined: 17 Apr 2006

Thanks- centering is such a challenge for me. I know I'll get to the point someday where I'll be able to throw a pot with even walls and trim it and glaze it but right now it's one of life's great mysteries. I have to learn it this month because I'm teaching a pottery class to kids this summer.

Did you take a class with other english-speaking students? Was the language barrier a problem? I'm not too worried about it because there's some instances where language isn't that important. I don't speak spanish very well and have had to communicate with lots of spanish speaking people at my work. Hand gestures, facial expressions and spanglish sounds effects work fine for the most part.