Jian Yoo
Mother-of-pearl artist
Seoul, South Korea
Contemporary mother-of-pearl
- Jian approaches mother-of-pearl as an artistic medium
- She develops traditional techniques into a contemporary visual language
- Her works translate invisible flows of time and emotion into surfaces of light
Jian Yoo was born in Korea and received a BFA from Pratt Institute in New York in the early 2000s. Through her mother-of-pearl sculptures, she explores how invisible flows of emotion and time can leave traces and structures. "My primary medium allows me to reveal inner currents shaped by sensation and memory, relationships and surroundings," says Jian. Having grown up around mother-of-pearl in a workshop run by her father, she became familiar with the material from an early age. Today, through studio-based practice and ongoing material research, Jian continues to explore the luminous qualities of mother-of-pearl and expand them into a contemporary visual language.
INTERVIEW
My work explores how emotion and time can leave tangible marks. I use the light of mother-of-pearl as a medium to reveal these flows. Its light constantly shifts in colour and depth depending on the viewer’s position and the surrounding environment. These shifts create varied scenes and currents within a single surface.
I draw inspiration from nature, as well as from the sensations and memories shaped by the environments and cultures we live in. These elements often appear in my work as imagery such as waves or the moon, influencing the composition and narrative of each piece.
Inspiration usually begins with an image or an impression. From that starting point, I develop the composition and imagery of the work. As the process unfolds, the image gradually emerges on the surface through the colours created by the light of mother-of-pearl.
It is when the work reveals something I did not expect. The imagery forms within a composition I have envisioned, yet the light of mother-of-pearl continues to reveal different depths depending on the viewing angle and surrounding environment. When the same work appears new each time through these shifts of light, it reminds me why I continue to work with this material.
