Spot the Designer - Youjin Um/ South Korea

What did you want to be when you were a child?

I spent my childhood in a zone full of oriental medicine clinics. My grandfather was a doctor of Korean Medicine and he was the first person I respected and loved in my life, and the most cozy person I could feel. so I wanted to be a nurse for sick patients like him.

When have you started creating jewelry? How did this passion come about?

Happy childhood memories are my first treasure. Although I only have precious memories and a medical book that my maternal grandfather recorded and left in my life. Like me, modern people will have pure childhood memories of their own objects of longing. 

I hope that my work will evoke precious memories not only in my heart but also in the hearts of many people, so that I can find my own freedom and help with mental stability and healing by taking them out whenever I feel tired. With this mind, I began to capture this precious childhood memory in one space.

What was your first project or significant piece for you and from what point of view?

I decided to express my inner unconsciousness through my work. The hexagonal pyramid, the most basic of the hexagonal structure, was thought to be a form that could stabilize anxiety to the fullest, giving stability to the lonely lives of modern people. For example, the pyramids of ancient Egypt decided to create works using hexagonal structures as a tool to contain the stability and happiness of life that they wanted endlessly to express their inner hopes of reincarnation. This is my way of expressing the anxiety factors of modern people and the longing of those who want to put their anxiety in stability, reflecting their inner selves with the stability of the hexagonal structure and meeting the truth of life that they really want.

How do you charge your batteries? What other passions and creative interests do you have?

I am very interested in architecture, especially patterned structures. The reason why I became interested in such a geometric structure can be seen as having a great influence on childhood memories. 

I spent my childhood at my grandfather's house and enjoyed going to the playground in front of the nearby church, where I enjoyed riding rides such as rebar structures and experienced mysterious fantasies as if I were traveling in a spaceship. I haven't been there yet, but I really want to see the highest peak of Islamic architecture, the panoramic view of the Alhambra Palace. Just as my work, each space, contains a spirit of stability and happiness, the shamanistic meaning expressed inside the structure also expresses dreams and hopes.

What does the connection between manufacturing tradition and contemporary design mean to you?

Maybe I exist between manufacturing tradition and contemporary design. Each piece of work reveals the artist's original sensibility. I think the work of human sensitivity so far is superior to the sophistication of the machine. My work can be seen in particular as an example. Peoples thought it was a machine-made finished product, but they look closely and notice it. Of course, viewers find something more special than the accuracy of the machine that cannot be expressed in words. I'm holding on to my analog sensibility and forming the maniac.

Is there a self-portrait piece that speaks most about you?

"Memory is like a kaleidoscope. The landscape is filled with beautiful small stones. " My artwork is a form of healing and infusing with fond memories of my childhood. One important clue for understanding my artwork is remark that a reverie that attracts various memories is like a kaleidoscope that shows different patterns when you shake it.

Which material have you not yet used is a temptation and a challenge for you?

In fact, I live in two worlds. Fantastic kaleidoscope that creates a space for itself and forms countless nets in it, and a playful space that expresses a free silhouette as the mind moves with relaxation at the fingertips. My work is a time of asceticism in which contradictions and conflicts are repeated. But in a way, the two worlds may have the same thing in common. If you continue to paint like Gogh, you will find out someday.

How was the pandemic period for you as a jewelry designer?

Unlike the past, the coexistence of various cultures seems to blur the boundary between craft and art. I started crafting again although I was thinking it was too late to start. And fortunately, I have not suffered any slump in my work as of yet.

For me, who is keen on technique, it is difficult to tell whether it is a craft or art when looking at sculptures with high artistry. I love sawing, and I keep working on improving it, remembering the precious memories of my life. Even if the boundary between craft and art is blurred, if the creator's free-thinking is expressed within their work, the blurred boundary will not be a problem and will be a positive interaction. The current social environment is in a bad condition, but to overcome it, I have to adapt to it best as possible. While working with integrity, I will continue to be interested in the environment. And I will become a more passionate craftsman by receiving a lot of attention and encouragement from people through continuous and diverse promotions. I will try to keep my initial mindset for this work.

How do you see the future of contemporary jewelry?

It is the same as the answer to the question above. I also feel the vague difference between modern crafts and art. Above all, I think you should express yourself subjectively in the skills and conditions that suit you. Most viewers who have seen my work ask if my work is 3D printed. I have never heard such a question in the past. For the purpose of healing myself, I am creating my own space using sawing, a metal craft technique. Instead of completely refusing to use technical support, I will use it if necessary. However, I still want to keep making my space with my own sophistication. So far, I have thought that hand-made works are much more natural and look more beautiful. I am so proud of them.

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