Tuning into the rhythm of metal
- The making of one metal artwork takes Yong-Il 100 hours
- He favours silver and copper alloys for patination possibilities
- He uses sheet metal which he hammers, planishes and solders
Yong-Il Jeon first discovered metalwork through Seoul National University's studio programme in 1975. Despite techniques he initially found difficult, he was drawn to metal. Yong-Il pursued metalworking intensively through his foundational degree in Seoul, and later attended a masters in metalwork at the University of Miami. In 1990, he joined Kookmin University, where, for three decades, he balanced teaching and lecturing internationally alongside his artistic practice. "Today, I create new work from my basement studio in Seoul's Hongje-dong neighbourhood. My motivations, including classic music’s rhythm, structure and sensibility, guide my work," he says. Yong-Il's pieces are held in collections at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea, Chiwoo Craft Museum and the V&A.
INTERVIEW
Copper is soft, easy to manipulate and therefore better suited to rounded, organic forms. Moving away from functional objects in silver, I value copper alloys for this flexibility and lightness to make small, more sculptural works.
I consider this surface transformation as the most essential element of my work. One particular process I use is planishing, a technique that flattens or inflates the surface by hammering.
Several artists and teachers have influenced my work. I am particularly inspired by Lizzy Yoo, my academic advisor at Seoul National University, and Sung-won Martha Lee, an outstanding artist who introduced European metalsmithing to Korea.
Since retiring from teaching at university in 2021, I work in a regular and disciplined manner, for about six hours a day on average. I have no specific plan or expectations for my making. My focus is on witnessing how my ongoing body of work evolves over time.
