Se Oh reconfigures his own pasts and presents—his Korean heritage, conservative Christian upbringing in West Tennessee, and queer identity—as delicate, ghostly objects into which viewers project and reflect themselves. They’ve lately taken shape as small, paper-thin porcelain vessels modeled after traditional Korean ceramics that were buried with the dead. It’s a deeply healing endeavor for Oh, who longed for a stronger connection with his Korean heritage. “As a gay man, I would never be admitted into the gates of heaven,” Oh says, reflecting on the palpable fear his parents held for him. “This triggered me to kill many parts of myself in order to survive as a queer adoptee, transplanted into not only American Southern culture, but also living within the Bible Belt.”

At his latest exhibition, which opens Thursday at Stroll Garden in Los Angeles, the ceramist is inviting us to follow suit. The two-part show opens with a ceremony beckoning visitors to write down a “little death”—a bad habit, for example—they experienced down on incense paper, light it, and place it in a celadon ceremonial bowl as 60 hand-thrown porcelain vessels look on from gallery walls. The second part, opening Feb. 29, kicks off with a ceremony debuting large white celadon-glazed porcelains whose forms mimic the likeness of Old Testament angels that keep watchful eyes as they reflect on the little deaths. “There’s been a lot of work involved because of the volume of ceramics,” Oh says. “I’ve been in a meditative space we’re emulating within the show’s presentation.”

He recently called Surface to talk about his practice, his porcelain, and what he’ll present at the shows.

When did you first become interested in ceramics?

Before the pandemic, my partner gave me a pottery class, and in lockdown, I committed to having something to do. I got a wheel and porcelain and did nothing but play with clay and discover this visual language. I made all these objects, so I did a market and met a painter Hiejin Yoo, who was curating a group show. We talked about my researching Korean ceramics and how I didn’t have much connection with my heritage. She asked if I’d like to put my pieces in the show, and two gallerists bought my work and gave me solo shows within a year. It was great to use my longing to connect with my Korean heritage as a motivator for the work.

And that research led to your interest in burial ceramics?

Our relationship to death in the U.S. is quite different from other countries. When I put together a show, I’m responding to spaces. Stroll Garden has these varied ceilings, two skylights. It’s a compressed space, almost like a tomb. I went to Raina Lee’s opening and she had altars on the walls, and the idea of burials popped into my head. I hadn’t done a show focused on humble ceramics. Korean funeral ceramics are small because they’re buried with the dead.

Tell me about your materials.

Most are porcelain derived from the only porcelain developed by an American, Tom Coleman. I don’t use many glazes—these are raw porcelain with cobalt oxide painted on. Three elements: porcelain, oxide, and fire. This trifecta creating one vessel felt streamlined and appropriate.

The vessels in the show commemorate a “little death.” How did you determine those?

My friends and I have talked about parts of their lives they let go, whether an actual death or a toxic relationship. Each burial ceramic represents those stories. It’s a sobering look at humanity. Not everything is hopeful or positive, but that’s the reality of being alive. The elegies are about letting go.

How so?

We’re putting the vessels on small shelves on a grid, so it’s not center stage. When you arrive, you’re given incense paper scented with chrysanthemum, traditionally used in Korean funerals. We’re asking people to write about a little death they experienced on the paper. In the center of the gallery, there’s one hand-painted ceramic piece. People light the paper on fire, put it into the ceramic, and then view the show, an experience you can’t get with photos or video.

What will comprise the second part of the show?

It’s based on Old Testament angels, which have orbs with hundreds of eyes and wings. In Western cultures, we think about angels as watching over us. This second body of work will be your witness. The vessels are objects meant to watch over you. The ashes from those incense papers will be housed inside these witnesses, so people who acquire the work will not only be a shepherd of my vessel but a small portion of the ashes of these little deaths of strangers.

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