Eunsil Leem appreciates the value of craftsmanship and craft knowledge as much as the final outcome. After earning a BFA in furniture design from Sangmyung University in Seoul, Korea, she turned to woodworking to learn more about hands-on making. While enrolled in a woodworking program in a local community college, Eunsil took a jewelry class and fell in love with art jewelry. Making one-of-a-kind jewelry fulfilled her desire for making functional and creative art. After finishing advanced jewelry classes, she continued her education in graduate school, earning an MFA in jewelry and metalsmithing from Southern Illinois University.
In her work, Eunsil explores the limitations of language to express unspoken experiences and emotions, which she believes are “the truth.” Through the making process, she believes non-tangible concepts, such as thoughts and feelings, become real. Eunsil communicates a story by cutting, etching, reconnecting, firing, and hammering her chosen material. The inspiration for her work is based mostly on her personal experience, but she strives to create visual poetry in order to express experiences and emotions that are common to many. To learn more about her work, visit eunsilleem.com/.
