Youjin Um (Introduction)

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Youjin_Um_Artist_Statement.pdf

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안녕하세요, 한국의 현대 장신구 및 오브제 작가로 활동하고 있는 엄유진입니다.
사람들은 저마다 개개인의 아름다운 기억, 소중한 추억을 간직하고 있을 것입니다.
저는 행복했던 유년 시절의 기억을 그리워하며 소중히 간직하길 원합니다.
그래서 살면서 힘들고 지칠 때 순간이동 소위 타임머신을 타고 공간을 이동하듯이
과거 예전 즐겨 놀던 교회 옆 놀이터에 다다릅니다. 구름사다리, 정글짐과 같은 놀이기구에서
신나게 놀던 어린아이, 순수했던 그 시절, 햇살 아래 물구나무서서 바라본 여러 구조물의
교차한 영상을 수많은 시간을 지나 하나하나의 조각들을 만들어 그곳에 담기 시작했습니다.
조각들은 직접 손으로 톱질하여 접합해 가며 건물을 짓듯이 쌓아가는 형식으로 만들어갑니다.
작업 과정은 곧 저에겐 마음의 힐링이자 치유의 과정이기도 하며 그 결과물이 만들어졌을 때
또 다른 내 집이 생겼다는 안도감이 듭니다. 저의 오브제이자 장신구가 될 조각들은 또 다른
제2의 세계로서 연결의 메타포를 나타냅니다. 만화경의 세계로 여러분을 맞이하게 되어 기쁩니다! 

작가 이력
학력: 홍익대학교 산업미술대학원 금속디자인전공 졸업
전시: 개인전 3회 / 단체전 60여회
강연: 홍익대학교, 경기대학교
수상: 독일 슈묵뮌헨2026 선정, 폴란드 레그니차 국제주얼리공모전_퀄리티 대상, 제33회 일본 장신구공모전 해외 부문 상, 리투아니아 앰버 트립 아트장신구공모전_인클루시브 입선, 이타미 국제공예공모전 입선, 미국 SNAG 평생공로상 디자인 공모전 대상, 그리스 아테네주얼리위크 머티리얼 퀘스트 상, 청주국제공예비엔날레 입선 등
소장: 서울공예박물관, 푸른문화재단, 폴란드 레그니차 미술관, 중국 베이징 전시 센터, 루마니아 부쿠레슈티 국립극장
작품협찬: 엘르 코리아 1월 2019 Fresh Start(월간)
작품개재: 바르셀로나 New Earrings Hoaki Books, 100개의 브로치-한국현대장신구의 새로운 세대 전시도록 소금나무, 로마 '전망이 보이는 방' 로스트 인 주얼리 매거진, 귀걸이 과거와 현재를 꿰다_개관특별전 전시도록 서울공예박물관, 치우뉴스레터 12월호 이달의 작가 인터뷰 유리지공예관, 홍콩 '성장 그리고 혁명' 국제주얼리 전시도록 중국 현대 출판사  
현재: 장신구 및 오브제 작가
금속제3그룹, Klimt02 Jewelry, SNAG Metalsmith 회원

Hello, I'm Youjin Um, a contemporary jewelry and object artist in Korea.
Each person will have his or her own beautiful and precious memories. I want to miss and cherish the memories of my happy childhood. So, when I am tired in life, I come to the playground next to the church I used to enjoy in the past, as if I was traveling through space on a time machine. After countless hours, I made each piece of the intersecting video of various structures I watched standing on my hands under the sunlight, and began to unsaid silently capture the happy memories of my childhood. The sculptures are made by sawing and joining them by hand and stacking them as if building a building.
The process of working is also a healing and healing process for me, and when the result is made, I feel relieved that I have another home. The sculptures that will be my objects and architectural ornaments represent a metaphor for connection as a second world. I'm excited to welcome you into the world of kaleidoscopes!

Inside the Kaleidoscope

  ‘Memory is like a kaleidoscope. The kaleidoscope is full of beautiful little colored stones. ’
I heal and find consolation in precious memories of my youth. In a world that changes ever-more rapidly, our old memories fade and we grow tired. But we humans also find the strength to push our limits when we reflect on our memories. In such spirit of our power and resilience, I have collected and distilled my memories, one by one, into each of my pieces.

A jewelry artist based in Seoul, South Korea, She retains childhood memories in objects and spaces. Silver, Her primary material, recalls the purity of childhood, and the piercing used in her work involves rules and repetitive actions, symbolizing the hope embodied in patience and effort. Starting with the stable structure of a hexagon, she builds a more solid and sturdy frame in the process of gradually transforming its shape. Everyone has their own way of reminiscing about time. One might be whisked back to the past by a chance encounter with a song lyric or wander through the pages of a book steeped in memories of days gone by.
Believing that "creating is healing," the artist preserves past by crafting "Kaleidoscope" a series of metal ornaments that encapsulate cherished memories from childhood. Observation that "the ecstasy formed when memories converge is akin to a kaleidoscope, revealing a new pattern with every shake" offers a vital clue to understanding her work. Pieces begin as art objects harmonizing geometric patterns with modern designs, gradually evolving to incorporate functional utility. Driven by the firm conviction to "do everything with my own hands," she meticulously hand-saws each metal sheet; her use of openwork techniques maximizing a handcrafted beauty that machines could never replicate is so extraordinary it leaves viewers marveling at the sheer intensity of her dedication.

Bio text
Education: M.F.A. Hongik University, Seoul Korea
Exhibition: Solo 3th / Group 60th(estimate)
Lecture: Hongik University, Kyonggi University
Awards: SCHMUCK München 2026 Selected Germany, Legnica Int. Jewellery Competition_Quality Grand prix Poland, 33th Japan Jewellery Competition Overseas Division Prize, Amber Trip Art Jewellery Competition_INCLUSIVE Selected Lithuania, ITAMI Int. Jewellery Competition Selected Japan, SNAG Lifetime Achievement Award Design Competition_Winner U.S.A, Athens Jewelry Week Material Quest Award Greece, Cheongju Int. Craft Competition Selected etc
Collections: Seoul Museum of Craft Art, Pureun Cultural Foundation, The Gallery of Art in Legnica Poland, Beijing Exhibition Center China, National Theatre Bucharest Romania
Magazine: New Time. Ella Korea, January 2019 Fresh Start
Book: Barcelona New Earrings Hoaki Books, 100 BROOCHES-A New Generation of Korean Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition catalog Salt tree, Roma 'A Room with a View' on Lost In Jewellery Magazine, Earrings, Connecting the Past and Present_Special Exhibition catalog SeMoCA, Chiwoo Newsletter December issue of Artist of the Month Interview Yoolizzy Craft Museum, Hong Kong 'Growth & Evolution' International Jewellery Exhibition catalog China Modern Publishing House
Present Jewelry and Object Artist
The 3rd Group of Metalsmith, Klimt02 Jewelry, SNAG Metalsmith member

Email: genei2001@gmail.com
Instagram: @youjin_um