Her ceramic journey has taken her through studios in Japan and South Korea. In Bizen, Japan, Chai worked under ceramic artist Kazuya Ishida, gaining first-hand experience of Japanese studio life and traditional wood-firing culture.

She later travelled to Icheon, South Korea, where she undertook an intensive period of study with Master Lee Hyang-gu, becoming his longest-standing international student. Under Master Lee, Chai learned his method of throwing the moon jar in one piece on the wheel using only the hands, without ribs or shaping tools.

This period of study became central to her current practice. Master Lee emphasised repetition, control and the importance of learning the fundamentals through one core form before moving into larger and more varied work. Chai continues to work within that discipline today, refining her understanding of proportion, movement, thickness and scale.

Chai creates contemporary moon jars by hand in small collections, working across porcelain and stoneware. Rather than relying on shaping tools to refine the final form, each vessel is developed directly on the wheel through touch, pressure and movement, allowing the clay to respond naturally throughout the making process.

Her work is currently grounded in continued learning and in the principles she studied under Master Lee. For now, Chai remains focused on refining those fundamentals, allowing her practice to evolve gradually into broader and larger-scale forms.

Today, moon jars remain at the centre of Chai’s studio practice in Sydney. Her work reflects a deep respect for the Korean origin of the form alongside her own continuing development as a ceramic artist.