A 'Ceramics Journey' for the Hangul Day Holiday... Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale Connects Icheon, Gwangju and Yeoju

Tour all three main venues with one integrated ticket... holiday programs through October 11
Contemporary ceramics in Icheon, master artisans in Gwangju, and Yeoju's "Unfamiliar Tradition" exhibition
Events include Korea-Australia cultural exchange, onggi workshops and Kids Biennale

A "ceramics journey" connecting Icheon, Gwangju and Yeoju is on offer for the Hangul Day holiday.

“Gongye Pocha” at the 2026 Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale, held at the Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum in Gwangju. Local craft artists meet visitors and showcase a variety of handmade items, including ceramic cups and mother-of-pearl keychains. Korean Ceramic Foundation

The Korea Ceramic Foundation said on October 7 that visitors can tour the three main venues of the 2026 Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale - the Gyeonggi Ceramic Art Museum in Icheon, the Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum in Gwangju and the Gyeonggi Living Ceramic Art Museum in Yeoju - with a single integrated ticket during the holiday from October 9 to 11.

The biennale's main exhibition, "The Earth Makes," is being held at the Gyeonggi Ceramic Art Museum in Icheon. It views soil and land not simply as materials but as agents of creation, and features 67 artists from 28 teams across 14 countries. Works by British artist William Cobbing, Australian artist Yasmin Smith, French artist duo Senokozm, and Korean artists Kim Changho, Kim Siyoung and Lee Wan, among others, are on display.

The museum is also hosting "Landscape," a special project combining ceramic artist Choi Seongjae's buncheong work with architect Jang Youngcheol's hanok pavilion "Piljeong," as well as "To the Future," an exhibition of emerging artists selected from 28 ceramics departments and graduate programs at universities nationwide. Visitors can also see 58 works selected for the 13th International Competition, which received 1,397 submissions from 1,050 entrants in 77 countries.

At the Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum in Gwangju, the special exhibition "Master Ceramic Artists of Our Time" showcases works by 64 artists, including Master Craftsmen of Korea and master artisans from Gyeonggi Province. The museum also presents 37 selected works from the 7th "Beautiful Korean Ceramics Competition" and "Our History Through Ceramics," a special collection exhibition tracing changes in ceramics from the Goryeo Dynasty to the modern and contemporary eras.

At the Gyeonggi Living Ceramic Art Museum in Yeoju, the special exhibition "Unfamiliar Tradition," held in conjunction with the art market, features 94 works by six artists who reinterpret familiar traditional ceramics - including earthenware, black-glazed ceramics, onggi pottery and iron-painted buncheong ware - from a contemporary perspective. Visitors can also inquire about purchasing the works. The museum is also hosting "Beauty Is Eternal Delight," an exhibition of around 300 items from its collection exploring the forms and uses of vessels.

Hands-on programs will also run throughout the holiday. On October 9, Hangul Day, Icheon will host "Korea-Australia Cultural Exchange Day" to mark the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The program includes ceramic workshops with the Australian Aboriginal pottery collective Hermannsburg Potters and artist Kim Changho, as well as a performance by Australian musician Bumpy. A special talk, "Building Landscapes, Shaping Landscapes," with architect Jang Youngcheol and ceramic artist Choi Seongjae will also be held.

In Gwangju, "Kids Biennale" will give children and families the chance to touch and shape clay. In Icheon, "Breathing Vessels: Onggi" will be held on October 9 and 10, offering a look at traditional onggi-making and the chance to make a small onggi pot. Other programs include an open studio offering a glimpse into artists' creative processes and "Smogware Korea: From City Dust to the Table," which uses glaze made from dust collected in Icheon.

In Gwangju, local craft artists will take part in "Gongye Pocha," while in Yeoju, visitors can get advice on purchasing works featured in "Unfamiliar Tradition."

The integrated biennale ticket costs 11,000 won at the venue at the standard rate and provides admission to all three locations in Icheon, Gwangju and Yeoju. Individual tickets cost 6,000 won for Icheon and 4,000 won each for Gwangju and Yeoju. The integrated ticket is 3,000 won cheaper than buying all three individual tickets.

Ryu In-gwon, president of the Korea Ceramic Foundation, said, "Each of the three regions has its own distinct appeal, from contemporary ceramics in Icheon and master artisans' works in Gwangju to new traditions in Yeoju. I hope families, friends and couples will use a single integrated ticket to travel around Gyeonggi Province during the Hangul Day holiday, touch the clay and meet the artists, and enjoy a special autumn."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.