Junho Hwang
Textile sculptor
Seoul, South Korea
Recommended by Jaeyoung Kang
Meditation through beads and knots
- Junho's knotted units cluster to echo Buddhist cycles and rebirth flow
- He finds joy and peace in his hands-on making process
- His materials include fabric, beads and cable ties
Junho Hwang's practice transforms repetitive gestures into a contemplative visual language of textiles. Trained in textile design and fibre art, he explores the structural and material qualities of fabric through labour-intensive processes rooted in traditional tie-dye techniques. Junho's act of binding and repeating forms becomes both method and metaphor. Each knotted unit reflects the rhythms of daily life, while their accumulation evokes cycles of generation, dissolution and return. Informed by Buddhist concepts of samsara, his works unfold as quiet meditations on continuity and change. "The tactile act of making, from shaping and tying to assembling by hand, remains central to my practice," Junho says. "It grounds my work in a sense of joy, focus and lived experience."
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
In my work, I am repeatedly tying knots, which becomes a type of self-discipline and meditation. Through repetition, I bind and dissolve endless thoughts, creating moments of reflection. This shapes the work while clearing the mind and inner noise.
Fabric forms the base, and it is chosen for its physical qualities. Beads represent thoughts, and they are treated as living units that are bound and transformed. Cable ties replace thread, offering strength and a contemporary touch while shaping dense, structured compositions.
Traditions should evolve, they are not fixed in the past. By introducing contemporary materials and methods, traditions can be reinterpreted within present time and space. This contrast reveals new synergies, possibilities and forms of expression.
I want viewers to take a moment to reflect upon what they are looking at. I hope they find a moment to look inward and reconnect with themselves. Through pieces, a quiet exchange can emerge, allowing personal stories to resonate and be shared.
