Yong Joo Kim is a young Korean artist who has gained international acclaim with her creations of jewelry which can only be described as wearable artwork. After a background of working with precious stones she turned her attention to textiles and other nontraditional materials as her inspiration. Her 2011 collection is an example of this as she has taken the humble Velcro and by a process of grouping and clustering, created a selection of accessories which challenge the perspective of the observer to acknowledge the inner beauty of this mundane material.
The brooches, necklaces and earrings contain an indescribable element which creates a relationship between each piece and its wearer. The contemporary items with the fluidity of their organic forms make us aware of the infinite source of as yet unused objects which could easily form the accessories of the future. Yong Joo Kim wants us to look beyond the humility of an object and recognize its potential for beauty.
