April 2023

Situated at the foot of Jongnamsan Mountain, AWON comprises four old Hanok, which serve as a cafe and gallery during the daytime and as a guest house during the evening hours. Thanks to AWON, Wanju has been reborn as a place of contemplation today. Although the location is remote and requires a long drive on the national highway, visitors continue to flock to this idyllic spot. Even on weekdays, the place is crowded with visitors who come to enjoy the serene surroundings, and reservations for a year¡¯s worth of accommodation are filled in just one month.

Who planned the space that has received so much love? Jeon Hae-gab, the architect and CEO of AWON, grew up in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do Province. Jeon has always been close to nature and worked as a space planner in his youth, planning many spaces with dedication. However, when he reached his late thirties, he suddenly felt a sense of emptiness. ¡°Although I planned over 50 spaces, the spaces I rented and opened were not really mine. I realized that I had no real space of my own.¡±

That¡¯s when he discovered the place where he could bring his philosophy to life. ¡°I found this place in 1981. At the time, it was just a wasteland with only three private houses, and even the bus didn¡¯t come here. When I bought this land, everyone thought I was crazy. But I loved this place. It was natural, with nothing artificial around. It felt like I had a monopoly on this whole space.¡±

Visitors to this place are amazed by the picturesque landscape, where traditional Hanoks and mountains are delicately intertwined, as well as the sense of history embodied by AWON. ¡°The four Hanoks of AWON were relocated from other regions. These buildings are between 100 and 250 years old, and I visited Hanoks for over five years.¡± It took 15 years to relocate the four Hanoks, as any mistakes in handling the fragile materials could not be undone. As a result, the work was done carefully and slowly. After a long time, the scattered Hanoks were brought together and transformed into AWON, a garden for everyone.

AWON is a space loved by many, but Jeon says that no matter how beautiful a space may be, it is ultimately just a vessel that contains content. What Jeon has captured here is nature, and every space is designed meticulously so that visitors can immerse themselves in nature. For instance, AWON recently renovated the bamboo forest path. Most of the other renovation projects aimed to create wide and comfortable paths, yet Jeon decided to stack tiles on both sides of the path. As a result, the bamboo forest path became a narrow path that only one person could barely pass through. This was done so that visitors can walk alone on the hiking trail and listen to the sound of bamboo swaying in the wind, footsteps and birds chirping.

If you walk along the bamboo path, you will eventually arrive at the ¡°Seodang (a private institute in the Joseon Dynasty period).¡± Sitting on the floor of the Seodang and being immersed in the swaying waves of the wind, you will experience a moment of stillness where thoughts that once filled your mind disappear without notice. This moment of stillness is a special experience that Jeon wants to offer to visitors through AWON.

For ceramicist Joung Wook Jin, making pottery was a series of coincidences. He was studying pottery in college, which is what led to his future career. That was when he learned buncheong (type of traditional Korean grayish-blue-powdered stoneware). It may have looked crude, but Jin was captivated by the free and humorous shapes and patterns. The more he worked, the more he fell in love with ceramics. He started looking for kiln sites before he had even graduated from school.

¡°I had a firm belief that I needed to start working on pottery in earnest. I decided to travel around the country looking for kiln sites. That¡¯s how I happened upon the kiln site that I¡¯m at now. It was winter when I first came to the kiln site. My heart began to flutter as I looked around at the snow-covered place. I thought that it was the place where I needed to settle down. I have been working on pottery here for the past 23 years.¡±

Jin¡¯s work begins with thinking about the subject. He enjoys contemplating every moment in life whether he is traveling, watching the news or living his daily life. After deciding on a subject, the next step is to think about the pottery details. From clay, shape, decoration and glaze, none of the work is carried out in vain. Jin starts working on his pottery in earnest only when everything has been properly planned out. ¡°Perhaps the process is what helps form the mental bond between me and my work. I think this bond is completely reflected through my work.¡±

It has been 23 years since a coincidence turned into a necessity; the years awakened a sense of duty in him. Jin wants to turn his workspace Bongkang Ceramic Arts into a place where people can enjoy the culture of buncheong and stay and learn about pottery. Above all, he wants to awaken people to the local culture and give them the opportunity to enjoy it. ¡°Bongkang Ceramic Art runs various programs for the socially underprivileged such as the elderly and people with disabilities. It started with my dream of creating a place where people could experience pottery. I¡¯m happy because I have the chance to share my skills with a lot of people. I hope more people will come to Bongkang Ceramic Art.¡±

Through his pursuit of pottery, Jin discovered a path towards personal growth, which he humbly acknowledges. As he says, ¡°I have come to understand the importance of relinquishing control. Pottery is not solely the outcome of a potter¡¯s dedication and expertise, but rather a joint effort between the potter and nature, resulting in a magnificent work of art. It is crucial for me to acknowledge and respect nature¡¯s contribution without developing a sense of arrogance.¡±

Jin has gone through a lot of hardship, but he never gave up. Hard work opened his eyes and became the driving force behind his life as a ceramicist. That is why no matter how difficult life becomes, Jin will pick up soil and make pottery that shines.