Onggi & Kimchi A Four-Week Pottery and Fermentation Workshop with Resident Potter Ester Kwon

Onggi & Kimchi

A Four-Week Pottery and Fermentation Workshop with Resident Potter Ester Kwon

Make the vessel. Prepare the food. Experience the living relationship between clay, culture and fermentation.

In this distinctive four-week workshop, eARTh Studios’ 2027 Winter Resident Potter Ester Kwon will introduce participants to the Korean tradition of onggi—earthenware vessels that have long played an essential role in storing and fermenting food.

Working with porous earthenware clay, participants will create their own lidded fermentation vessel with a water-seal rim designed to support the growth of beneficial lactic acid bacteria. Ester will guide the process from the first piece of centred clay to the final, delicious act of filling each finished pot with handmade kimchi.

The Four-Week Journey

Week One: Tradition, Form and Function
Discover the history and cultural significance of Korean onggi. Ester will introduce the relationship between clay, breathability and fermentation before guiding participants through throwing the vessel’s base and lid.

Week Two: Trimming and Construction
Refine the thrown forms, trim the base and lid, and add the functional components that transform the pot into a fermentation vessel—including its water-seal rim.

Week Three: Glazing
Prepare and glaze the vessels for firing, considering how the surface and interior support both function and the earthy character of the finished pot.

Week Four: Kimchi Fermentation
Once the vessels have been fired, we will move from the pottery studio to the fermentation table. Ester will lead a hands-on kimchi-making session, exploring ingredients, preparation and the natural fermentation process.

At the end of the workshop, every participant will take home a handmade fermentation pot filled with kimchi prepared by their own hands.

This course brings pottery out of the cupboard and into living use. It is an opportunity to explore how a thoughtfully made vessel can carry culture, nourish community and become part of the rhythms of the kitchen for years to come.

Course length: Four weeks March 7-28  3-5:30 p.m.

Cost Workshop fee: $310 per participant 
Includes specialty earthenware clay, glazing, firing, kimchi ingredients and the complete four-week workshop experience.
Skill level: Intermediate
Prerequisite: Participants must be comfortable centring and throwing 3 pounds of clay or more
Instructor: Ester Kwon, 2027 Winter Resident Potter
Location: eARTh Community Clay Studios, Nelson, BC
Participants take home: One handmade lidded fermentation vessel and a fresh batch of kimchi

Space is limited—reserve your place at the wheel and join us for this meeting of clay, culture and living food.