Hyo Jin Kim

Hyojin Kim is a Tokyo-based sculptor whose practice centers on metal casting as a means of exploring tension, balance, and the physical limits of the human form. Moving fluidly between traditional craft and contemporary production, Kim dissolves the boundaries between hand-driven processes and industrial techniques to develop a distinct sculptural language.

Her work is composed of interconnected human units that accumulate into complex structures, evoking states of suspension, resistance, and equilibrium. These forms emerge through an intensive, iterative process in which repetition, gravity, and material behavior play a central role.

Working across a wide range of casting methods—from beeswax and pine resin modeling to ceramic shell, gypsum, and vacuum casting—Kim integrates multiple temporal and technical layers within a single body of work. By maintaining full control over each stage of production, she establishes a direct and evolving dialogue between material, process, and form.

Her practice continues to expand internationally, with a growing international presence, including exhibitions in Europe and the United States.

2020
PhD in Fine Arts, Major in Metal Casting
Department of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo, JAPAN

Doctoral Program Final Exhibition : “Variations on the Superposition of Coincidences”

2016
Research Student in Field of Specialization of Crafts, Metal Casting, Fine Arts Graduate Course, Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo, JAPAN

2010
M.A. in Fine Arts, Major in Metalsmithing, Department of Craft and Design, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

2000
B.A. in Fine Arts , Major in Environmental Sculpture, Department of Environmental Sculpture, University of Seoul, Seoul, Korea

Solo Exhibitions
2024 — The Afterimage, Gallery Café 3, Tokyo, Japan
2023 — Asking Inquiries by Explorers, Gallery Café 3, Tokyo, Japan
2021 — Aporia, Gallery Café 3, Tokyo, Japan

Selected Exhibitions
Selected Group Exhibitions
2025 — Cheongju Craft Biennale 2025, Main Exhibition “Crafts as Metaculture”, Cheongju, Korea
2025 — Arts Festival in Tenku, Tomi, Nagano, Japan
2025 — Geidai in Ginchakai, Itoya Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
2024 — Art in Everyday Life: Design & Craft, KEPCO Art Center, Seoul, Korea
2024 — Geidai in Ginchakai, Itoya Ginza, Tokyo, Japan
2023 — BAI: New Crafts International Emerging Artists Exhibition, Jilin University of Arts Museum, China
2023 — New Jewelry Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
2023 — Art in Everyday Life: Design & Craft, KEPCO Art Center, Seoul, Korea
2022 — Milano Jewelry Week, Palazzo dei Giureconsulti, Milan, Italy
2022 — Cluster Jewellery Fair, London, UK
2022 — THE BRICKS NYC, The Blue Gallery, New York, USA
2019 — Tokyo University of the Arts Doctoral Final Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan