Hayun Surl: From Onggi Apprentice to Guardian Sculptor

Korean American ceramicist Hayun Surl discusses her artistic journey, from an architecture and interior design background to an apprenticeship with a Korean onggi master, and her subsequent evolution as an artist. Surl first encountered clay in 2013 as an exchange student in the United States, which sparked a passion that led her to leave interior design. She apprenticed with a traditional Korean folk pottery master, learning onggi techniques, then pursued an MFA at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Now an assistant professor at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, Surl creates her 'Guardian' series, large-scale ceramic vessels that explore the relationship between interior and exterior, inspired by Korean heritage and her experiences as an immigrant. Her work, which includes pieces like 'Vessel & Gravity' (2019), 'Voyager' (2026), 'Self Portrait' (2024), and 'Along the Way' (2024), reflects on cultural fluidity, adaptation, and the concept of the self as a traveler. Surl's practice is rooted in the onggi technique, which she adapts to create sculptural forms that invite viewers to consider what lies within. She draws inspiration from Korean artifacts of the Gaya period (4th-6th centuries), particularly duck motifs, which symbolize her own migratory journey. Her work has been exhibited in Texas and Ohio, and she continues to explore the interplay between personal narrative and broader cultural contexts.