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Artist Ji Young Kim
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Award Winner at Venice Jewellery Week 2025
in the Jewellery Selection with MydayByday Gallery
to artist Ji Young Kim
“An artist who translates the subtle distinction between ‘to wear’
and ‘to fill’ in the Korean language into metal structures.”
Ji Young Kim is a contemporary jewelry artist who explores adornment as
an act of “filling,” revealing invisible structures between body,
movement, and perception through metal.
in the Jewellery Selection with MydayByday Gallery
to artist Ji Young Kim
“An artist who translates the subtle distinction between ‘to wear’
and ‘to fill’ in the Korean language into metal structures.”
Ji Young Kim is a contemporary jewelry artist who explores adornment as
an act of “filling,” revealing invisible structures between body,
movement, and perception through metal.
Artist Ji Young Kim Brooch, 60ⅹ80ⅹ40, alloy
sterling silver
real pearl
The Act of Wearing, the Act of Filling
Ji Young Kim is an artist who explores the boundary between jewelry and object through metal as a primary medium. She approaches jewelry not merely as something to be worn, but as a practice rooted in the Korean verbs chada (to wear) and chaewooda (to fill), emphasizing action over ornament.
Her work expands the act of adorning the body into a process of filling emotional and perceptual absences, revealing invisible structures and lingering sensations through the precise construction and subtle movements of metal. Rather than presenting a fixed, completed form, her works function as structures that come into being through processes of viewing, wearing, and discovery.
Ji Young Kim is an artist who explores the boundary between jewelry and object through metal as a primary medium. She approaches jewelry not merely as something to be worn, but as a practice rooted in the Korean verbs chada (to wear) and chaewooda (to fill), emphasizing action over ornament.
Her work expands the act of adorning the body into a process of filling emotional and perceptual absences, revealing invisible structures and lingering sensations through the precise construction and subtle movements of metal. Rather than presenting a fixed, completed form, her works function as structures that come into being through processes of viewing, wearing, and discovery.
Artist Ji Young Kim
Artist Ji Young Kim Earring or Brooch, 85ⅹ65ⅹ30, aluminum film
Ji Young Kim’s practice began not with a form, but with the discovery of a single verb.
Her work originates from a word that Korean speakers have long used without question—a verb used to describe wearing jewelry on the body. In Korean, the act of wearing jewelry is often described using the words ‘chada’ or ‘chaewooda’. While these expressions are commonly translated into English as 'wear', their meaning in Korean carries another layer: to fill. This linguistic nuance—overlooked in conventional translations—became the starting point of Kim’s artistic inquiry. Ji Young recognized this gap as a discovery.
Is jewelry something we wear, or something that fills the body?
Her work originates from a word that Korean speakers have long used without question—a verb used to describe wearing jewelry on the body. In Korean, the act of wearing jewelry is often described using the words ‘chada’ or ‘chaewooda’. While these expressions are commonly translated into English as 'wear', their meaning in Korean carries another layer: to fill. This linguistic nuance—overlooked in conventional translations—became the starting point of Kim’s artistic inquiry. Ji Young recognized this gap as a discovery.
Is jewelry something we wear, or something that fills the body?
Artist Ji Young Kim Necklace, 160ⅹ5ⅹ120, sterling silver, red copper and aluminum
Artist Ji Young Kim Object or brooch, 50ⅹ50ⅹ60, (open 130ⅹ130ⅹ20 change)
By reframing jewelry through the concept of filling rather than adornment, she began to reconsider its relationship to the body—not as decoration, but as a structure capable of occupying both visible and invisible space. This realization became a pivotal moment in her practice. Like setting foot on the moon—already visible, yet newly experienced—this subtle shift in perspective opened a new conceptual territory. For Ji Young, “to fill” suggests the possibility that jewelry may engage not only the body, but also emotion, perception, and the inner self. She first articulated this concept through academic research, publishing it as a thesis, and soon after began translating it into visual form. As a result, her works exist at the threshold between jewelry and object.
Artist Ji Young Kim object or brooch
50ⅹ15ⅹ40 (changed 120)
In her pieces, functional elements such as pins are often concealed. She designs structures in which the wearer must actively uncover, remove, and close hidden mechanisms. These systems challenge conventional ideas of jewelry construction and use. If a pin is hidden, does the work become an object rather than jewelry?
If it can appear and disappear, how should it be understood? Where do the boundaries lie between jewelry and object, art and craft, viewing and use? Rather than revealing all functions explicitly, Ji Young chooses to conceal them—inviting imagination instead of explanation. These questions are inseparable from her own identity as an artist working between disciplines. Through her work, she asks whether jewelry can do more than adorn—whether it can fill the body, the senses, and the spaces we rarely notice.
If it can appear and disappear, how should it be understood? Where do the boundaries lie between jewelry and object, art and craft, viewing and use? Rather than revealing all functions explicitly, Ji Young chooses to conceal them—inviting imagination instead of explanation. These questions are inseparable from her own identity as an artist working between disciplines. Through her work, she asks whether jewelry can do more than adorn—whether it can fill the body, the senses, and the spaces we rarely notice.
Artist Ji Young Kim object or brooch, 60ⅹ80ⅹ40(before open) size Boundless, steel aluminum sterling silver real pearl
Ji Young Kim wears what cannot be seen and fills what has not been spoken—through metal. For her, jewelry is not ornament, but a question that begins the moment it touches the body. To wear something is to awaken senses once left empty; to fill is to give form to a mind that had remained unexpressed. Her metal is solid, yet it always contains space within. Hidden structures, emotions that linger behind the surface, and movements that once went unnoticed quietly seep into the body and the gaze. Ji Young’s work is not a finished answer, but something that becomes complete only through the acts of wearing, looking, and discovering.
Artist Ji Young Kim object
or brooch, 50ⅹ50ⅹ40
(open change
50ⅹ50ⅹ190), sterling silver
Artist Ji Young Kim, 40ⅹ40ⅹ130 (changed 230). sterling silver red copper
My work is not just about creating visually appealing pieces; it’s about how long people will engage with the work, touch it, and integrate it into their lives. Jewelry, in my view, is more than an accessory—it’s a canvas for personal expression and a bridge that connects people with their stories. I strive to create forms that are open-ended, allowing wearers to reimagine and redefine their meaning over time. My latest work involves giving metal a new sense of elasticity and experimenting with shapes that dissolve the boundaries between inside and outside. This research excites me because it not only pushes technical limits but also deepens the emotional connection between the jewelry and its wearer. I believe these open-ended forms represent the essence of my journey—a continuous process of discovery and reinvention. All is same work, from one work.
Ji Young Kim – Bio
Ji Young Kim is a Korean contemporary jewelry artist working with metal to explore the conceptual boundary between jewelry and object. Rooted in the Korean linguistic understanding of jewelry as an act of “filling” rather than simply “wearing,” her practice focuses on action, perception, and the invisible relationships between body, space, and emotion. Ji Young’s work transforms jewelry into a performative structure— one that becomes complete only through wearing, viewing, and discovery. Through precise metal construction and subtle movement, she reveals hidden structures and sensations that linger behind visible form, expanding adornment into a process of perceptual and emotional fulfillment.
She received her M.F.A. in Metalwork & Jewelry from Kookmin University, Seoul, and has participated extensively in international exhibitions and biennials across Europe and Asia, including the Silver Triennial, Romanian Jewelry Week, Milano Jewelry Week, Inhorgenta Munich, and the Israel Biennale of Contemporary Jewelry. Her work has received multiple international awards and is held in public collections such as the National Museum of Legnica, Poland. Based in Korea, Ji Young continues to work as a studio jewelry artist and educator, contributing to contemporary jewelry discourse through exhibitions, teaching, and writing.
Ji Young Kim is a Korean contemporary jewelry artist working with metal to explore the conceptual boundary between jewelry and object. Rooted in the Korean linguistic understanding of jewelry as an act of “filling” rather than simply “wearing,” her practice focuses on action, perception, and the invisible relationships between body, space, and emotion. Ji Young’s work transforms jewelry into a performative structure— one that becomes complete only through wearing, viewing, and discovery. Through precise metal construction and subtle movement, she reveals hidden structures and sensations that linger behind visible form, expanding adornment into a process of perceptual and emotional fulfillment.
She received her M.F.A. in Metalwork & Jewelry from Kookmin University, Seoul, and has participated extensively in international exhibitions and biennials across Europe and Asia, including the Silver Triennial, Romanian Jewelry Week, Milano Jewelry Week, Inhorgenta Munich, and the Israel Biennale of Contemporary Jewelry. Her work has received multiple international awards and is held in public collections such as the National Museum of Legnica, Poland. Based in Korea, Ji Young continues to work as a studio jewelry artist and educator, contributing to contemporary jewelry discourse through exhibitions, teaching, and writing.
Ji Young Kim CV