Jihyun Kim

Jihyun began working with ceramics in 2016 while studying in the Arts and Crafts department at Sookmyung Women’s University in South Korea. There, she developed fundamental ceramic skills and an understanding of how to plan and execute projects. After graduating, she moved to London to pursue a Master’s degree in Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art.

As a child, her love of doodling and illustration led her to dream of becoming an illustrator. At university, she was mesmerised by the way clay allowed her to transform imagined forms into tangible objects. The process – from building to firing – felt like bringing a living creature to life.

Her practice draws inspiration from Korean fairy tales, folk beliefs, and superstitions. Raised by her grandmother, Jihyun grew up with rituals and inherited habits that continue to influence her work, reinterpreting these stories into functional designs.

Her work is defined by an experimental use of glaze. Influenced by the meticulous behaviour of gloop glaze, she treats it as a structural material rather than surface decoration. Using gravity within the kiln, she allows glaze to melt and form specific shapes, embracing its intuitive properties and the transformative role of fire to create a sense of visual mysticism.