Traditional Korean Onggi Workshop

Five Day Course

Instructors

• Kim Yong-ho – Korean Onggi Master and Intangible Cultural Heritage Holder

• Kim Hee Gun – 8th-generation successor of the Obuja Onggi family tradition

About the Instructors

The Obuja Onggi family has preserved the tradition of Korean Onggi for eight generations, with a history dating back to the period of the Catholic persecution in Korea.

The 6th-generation master, Kim Il-man, was designated as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage holder. The 7th-generation master, Kim Yong-ho, is also recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage holder and continues to preserve and develop the traditional craft today.

The current 8th-generation successor, Kim Hee Gun, actively promotes Onggi through social media and international workshops. By connecting traditional craftsmanship with contemporary audiences, he is helping introduce one of Korea's most significant cultural heritages to people around the world.

Kim Hee Gun came and taught two workshops at Crown Works in early 2026 and the courses were so successful we have invited him back. We are therefore so lucky to now host his father Kim Yong-ho as the main instructor alongside Kim Hee Gun as his assistant.

About Traditional Korean Onggi

Onggi is a traditional Korean ceramic ware and an important part of Korea's cultural heritage. For centuries, it has been used to store and ferment foods such as kimchi, doenjang (soybean paste), and gochujang (red chili paste). Its naturally breathable structure creates an ideal environment for fermentation.

The techniques used in Onggi making are also unique in the world of ceramics. They allow large vessels to be built efficiently within a relatively short period of time using traditional hand-building methods. These skills are increasingly rare in contemporary ceramics, making Onggi an invaluable traditional craft.

CLASS DESCRIPTION

This will be a hands on five day intensive workshop for those who are of an intermediate or advanced level. There will be a maximum of ten students per class, each having their own dedicated electric wheel.

You will come away learning many new traditional techniques; ‘TARIM’ ‘SUREJIL’ and ‘GEUNGAEJIL’ as well as understanding the history of the form and its processes.

Your instructors will be demonstrating on a traditional Onggi Wheel made specifically for the workshop, all students will have opportunities to use the Onggi wheel over the course, whilst mainly working on their own dedicated electric wheels to improve their own techniques after the key demonstrations have taken place of each key method.

Day 1

• Introduction to the theory and history of Korean Onggi

• Traditional Onggi-making demonstration

• Basic coil-building practice

Day 2

• Advanced coil-building techniques

• Creating a small Onggi vessel using the Seol-jil (cutting and shaping) technique

Day 3

• Practice of Tarim and Surejil techniques

• Understanding form expansion, wall control, and vessel structure

Day 4

• Advanced Onggi making (medium-sized vessels)

• Large-scale Onggi demonstration by Master Kim Yong-ho

Day 5

• Personal project

• Demonstration and participant involvement in creating a large Onggi vessel (approximately 60 cm)

Teaching Format

• Demonstrations

• Hands-on practice

• Individual one-on-one feedback

Language

• English

You are most welcome to keep the Onggi you make, but it will need to be picked up and fired outside of Crown Works no more than a week post the class finishing (we have limited space for giant pots!) We imagine that the majority of students will use the course as a way to learn and experiment and that most pots will be sacrificial, but that is up to you. Just as a note, the pots will be extremely heavy and hard to move so please also keep this in mind if you are attempting to take them away! We will be using a Terracotta clay with a high grog content which fires between 1080-1180c

CROWN WORKS ONGGI TOOLS AND WHEELS

ONGGI TOOL SETS

We also now have beautiful sets of Onggi Tools for preorder. They are made specifically for Crown Works in Korea. They are made in the most traditional way and are as authentic as you can buy and they should last you a lifetime with proper care.

PRICE: £330 for the set. For more information click HERE

THE ONGGI WHEEL

We are also incredibly excited to announce that our Director Giulietta Hextall has been busy bringing together traditional designs and has developed her own Onggi Wheels made to order in Cornwall. These are now available to preorder from our website, they will be made in batches and the next batch will commence being made in March.

Please contactGiulietta@crownworkspottery.com directly with any question and you are also welcome to come into the studio to see and try one in person.

PRICE: £2400 For more information click HERE

Photot Credits: Iris Humm

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