Saturday Studio: Miniature Moon Jar

Event Date: May 16, 2026 (12:00 PM)

Inspired by the iconic and storied moon jars featured in Korean National Treasures: 2,000 Years of Art, this Saturday Studio art-making program (intended for ages 13+) invites participants to reflect on Confucian ideals while making their own miniature moon jar using air-dry clay. Participants will also have the opportunity to decorate their jars using Korean ceramic buncheong-inspired techniques, emphasizing texture, surface, and expressive mark-making.

Moon jars—large, round-bodied ceramic vessels whose form evokes the fullness of the moon—became popular in Korea during the late 17th to early 18th century. Originally created as utilitarian storage vessels, moon jars gradually came to embody Confucian ideals of purity, modesty, and harmony. Today, moon jars continue to inspire artists and viewers alike, standing as both a symbol of Korean aesthetic values and a beloved icon of Korea’s artistic heritage.

Note: The entirety of this program takes place in the Ryan Learning Center. Participants are encouraged to visit Korean National Treasures: 2,000 Years of Art—which requires an Art Institute membership or a general admission ticket—on their own prior to the workshop.

About the Teaching Artist

Annie Lee is a Korean American painter whose work is grounded in community engagement and social connection. Born in Seoul, Korea, she earned a BFA in illustration from the Columbus College of Art and Design in 2006 and completed a Master of Arts in art education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2024. Her paintings emerge from the micro-stories of everyday life—family, students, friends, and communities—where care, complexity, and uncertainty become sources of inspiration. Deeply informed by Korean traditions and values of harmony, Lee prioritizes process over production. She approaches each art-making moment as a space for connection, inviting freedom, meditation, and self-healing.

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