Heejoo Kim

Heejoo Kim is an applied artist and contemporary jewellery maker living and working in South Korea. Heejoo’s work is a reinterpretation of traditional craft art, expressing traditional techniques and philosophy with contemporary aesthetics.

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“I am drawn to exploring how audiences engage with the familiar yet often unrecognized emotions conveyed through my art. I propose that within our subconscious lies a form of collective unconsciousness, a repository of ancient, forgotten memories. My fascination with grand themes like life and death emerges from the discovery of the minute and the strange, veiled in the everyday. It is my aim to connect with viewers on an emotional level, sharing this exploration.

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The act of electroforming, where metal layers are deposited onto a wax-carved object, is, to me, akin to the process of creating life. The accrued thickness of these layers symbolizes the passage of time, while the predominant colors in my work reflect time’s accumulation. This technique breathes a dynamic life force into my creations, allowing them to transcend the temporal current.”

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Education

2018 Doctoral course in Metalcraft and Jewelry, Kookmin University, Seoul, South Korea 2011 MFA in Metalcraft and Jewelry, Kookmin University, Seoul, South Korea 

2007 BFA in Metalcraft and Jewelry, Kookmin University, Seoul, South Korea

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Major Permanent Collections 

FiorGen Foundation Pharmacogenomics, Firenze Italy

Korea National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea

Deedie Rose Art Jewelry Collection (USA) Rotasa Collection, USA 

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Selected Awards

2014 Finalist, AJF Artist Award, Art Jewelry Forum, USA 

2013 Itami International Craft Awards, Japan 

Korea Arts and Crafts Awards, South Korea

2012 Inhorgenta Award, Germany

2011 Winner, Preziosa Young, Italy