Joan Miró: Sculptures Artist's grandson shares Miro's hidden connection to Korea

By Park Yuna

At the press preview of Joan Miró’s Sculptures exhibition at Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul, an unexpected and intimate facet of his artistic journey came to light. Although Miró never had a chance to visit Korea, his long-standing ceramic practice incorporated wood-fired kilns inspired by Korean and Japanese techniques, reconstructed in a ceramic studio in Barcelona. This subtle detail reveals how the textures and material sensibilities in his ceramics were shaped by a cross-cultural dialogue that quietly bridged Europe and East Asia.

Beyond a technical note, this insight invites a deeper appreciation of Miró’s later sculptures and ceramics. His bronze works and transformed natural materials, including seashells, stones, and branches, reflect a worldview in which every element carries a sense of spiritual weight. Recognizing the cultural roots and influences behind his practice allows viewers to experience his familiar forms anew, seeing them not only as modernist abstractions but also as resonant bridges between geographies, histories, and artistic traditions.