Minhee Kim
Textile sculptor
London, United Kingdom
Reminiscences sewn by hand
- Minhee creates 3D sculptures in monofilament
- Her structures, free from glue, hold their own
- Her work is held in Seoul Museum of Craft Art and Pureun Culture Center
Memories of home, culture and family form the foundation of Minhee Kim's textile practice. Growing up in Seoul, South Korea, she treasures recollections of her parents and grandparents providing her with the best food, a quiet expression of love that continues to inform her practice. "The image that has stayed with me the most is my parents carefully removing fish bones and placing the fish onto my rice before I ate," she says. After studying fibre art at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Minhee completed an MA in mixed media textiles at the Royal College of Art in London. Since 2016, she has worked with hair-thin monofilament to explore memory, absence and the invisible emotional bonds between people. A 2025 residency in Switzerland centred on intergenerational relationships fruther deepend her ongoing exploration. "I use monofilament to give physical form to the memories of care that continue to shape who I am," Minhee explains.
INTERVIEW
Fish are at the heart of my work. In Korean culture, preparing and serving fish for a family meal is a profound way to pass love and care from one generation to the next. Since leaving, small moments have become meaningful to me. Now, with my own newborn, I am determined to share these cherished values of family and culture with her.
The structure holds its own entirely through pre-planning. I use neither glue nor spray: I simply study each stitch before I start sewing. Monofilament is a very fine synthetic thread that resembles fishing line. I sew it onto dissolvable vinyl using a sewing machine or stitching by hand. Then, I wash the base away so only the threads remain.
When I was in Korea, I did not reflect much on my upbringing. Living in London, far from home, memories of my childhood keep me grounded and inspired. My work, coincidentally, has always been about things that cannot easily be put into words.
The sewing machine does the bulk of the work, but it is my hands that finish everything. They are the most important tools for achieving the perfect shape and add final adjustments to my 3D sculptures.
Minhee Kim
Textile sculptor
London, United Kingdom
ADDRESS
Address upon request, London, United Kingdom
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
Korean, English
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