Hyejung Sin

Heed nature

• Hye Jung understands the expression of nature through sound
• She finds nobility in the things that are not flashy
• She uses silver as a blank canvas with limitless potential

Hye Jung Shin finds balance in working on her art whilst taking care of her family. She feels the warmth of objects silently placed in her surroundings. Her husband is also a sculptor and so in this artistic atmosphere in the family home, her daily life influences and inspires her work. She chose silver as the main material for most of her work as it portrays cycles of growth and extinction in patterns and images. "Time put into works of silver is like space on a blank paper, which is more valuable than ornaments," she says. Hye Jung expresses the simplicity of nature by removing superfluous elements.

Interview

©All rights reserved

©All rights reserved

What is your educational background?

As a child, I studied oriental painting and calligraphy. Later, I became fascinated in metal crafts. In Korea, I worked with soldering and wax carving. At the R.I.T. Graduate School in the USA, I studied chasing, hammering and texture making.

What are your earliest memories of jewellery making?

When I was young, I dreamt of being an artisan. It is fortunate that I chose contemporary jewellery art which is like an independent sculpture. I liked the cold properties of metal expressed in various techniques. Wearability is the charm of jewellery.

Why did you choose silver as your material?

Silver is without rigid characteristics and feels infinite, like a blank sheet of paper without narration. It is suitable for expressing various forms and textures of nature. It is flexible for raising, sinking, chasing and hammering techniques.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Nature inspires me. It is a language of mankind, free from the borders of regions and cultures, and irremovable from human art. When I observe and collect branches, leaves, and fruits, my dialogues with nature and imagination are reflected in my art.

Hyejung Sin is a master artisan: she began her career in 2006 and she started teaching in 2013

Works

©Hyejung Sin

©Hyejung Sin

©Hyejung Sin

©Hyejung Sin

©Hyejung Sin

Where