Chaerin Hwang

Artist Statement

The Unsung Cartons project reflects my intention to observe with care and to reawaken sensitivity toward the objects we overlook in the rush of modern life. The first series, An Unsung Egg Carton, explores the familiar form of the egg carton through 3D printed clay and flameworked borosilicate glass. The series includes ten individual ceramic 12-count egg cartons and a single glass carton. I sought to translate the familiar into the unfamiliar through the study of an egg carton’s size, form, color, and texture, and by recreating it in a different yet still fragile medium. The deeper I observed, the more it revealed itself, drawing me into self-reflection, where I began to sense the empathy of one fragile material sheltering another. In each piece, undyed cotton yarn is woven into the egg wells and gently veils the absence of eggs. The carton, no longer performs its function, invites viewers to notice the object itself, while the textile acts as a gesture of care and tenderness. The transformed egg carton and the meditative rhythm of the textile create modest atmospheres.