Donghyun Kim
Metal sculptor
Seoul, South Korea
Conceptually distinguished vessels
- Donghyun creates hammer-formed sculptures and objects that explore human nature
- The pewter he uses is Britannia metal which yields a silver-white finish suitable for tableware
- He is assistant professor at Sungshin Women's University in Seoul
Donghyun Kim has built his practice around the hammer-forming technique, drawn to its capacity for shaping organic, free-form structures with consistent control. His choice of pewter is rooted in academic research, first into pure tin during his master's programme and later into pewter as a silver substitute during his doctorate. "The material's safety, durability and silver-white finish make it a viable alternative to silver for hammer-formed tableware," he says. In his teaching at university, Donghyun balances rigorous technical training with conceptual development, equipping students with the full range of skills needed for professional practice. "Looking ahead, I hope to return to working with silver, a material that I have set aside for several years," he shares.
INTERVIEW
It is the most suitable technique for shaping organic, free-form metal structures, and it gives me absolute control over the consistency of thickness. Strictly speaking, it also produces pieces that are significantly lighter than any cast-metal work.
During my master's programme, I researched the properties of pure tin and its use in hammer-forming, and later during my doctorate I chose pewter as a substitute for silver to produce silver-white vessels. More precisely, the pewter I use is Britannia metal, an alloy invented in Sheffield in the 18th century. Modern pewter is completely safe for the human body, resists oxidation over long periods, and is one of the very few materials apart from silver that can receive hammer-forming and still produce a silver-white finish.
I usually begin by developing concrete sketches from images and drawings accumulated over time, then build physical models using paper or clay. After that, I start the actual forming process with sheet metal, and, depending on the situation, I might also use 3D graphics software at the modelling stage.
I plan to increase the proportion of objects produced through hammer-forming, beyond functional vessels. I have also recently returned to making silver vessels, a practice I had set aside for several years.
Donghyun Kim
Metal sculptor
Seoul, South Korea
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Seoul, South Korea
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
Korean, English
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