Jongseok Lim

Jewellery artist

As I gaze upon the unique texture of insects crafted through the accumulation and shaping of twisted threads, it’s as if I’m moving backward in time, from the present to the past and into an unimaginably distant era. Eventually, my gaze returns to the primordial forests where nameless giant insects once lived and the ancient seas where they swam. Those times, endlessly rugged and unfailingly serene, seep deep into some corner of my inner self, occasionally surging forth and sometimes causing gentle ripples until they finally manifest in new forms.

Shapes created through my fingertips, much like the time when everything was unfamiliar or the pure, innocent gaze of a child, are all covered in rough paint. But at times, they burn away, leaving behind unadorned and unfamiliar ashes. Life, seemingly an unceasing stream of unpredictable fears and joys, has transformed these remaining ashen powders. Shaped by my minimal intervention, they have evolved into unexpected colors that defy prediction. They stand as the byproduct of pure desire, occupying their place as a beautiful visual language.

Education

2016 MFA in Metalwork and Jewelry, Kookmin University, Seoul, S. Korea

2013 BFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry, Konkuk University, Cheongju, S. Korea

Major Permanent Collections

2020 Seoul Museum of Craft Art, S. Korea

Seoul Culture Headquarters, S. Korea

2020 Le Arti Orafe Jewellery School, Italy

2018 Pureun Cultural Foundation, S. Korea

Victoria & Albert Museum, UK

2016 CODA Museum, Apeldoorn, Netherlands

Design Museum Den Bosch, Netherlands

Selected Awards