Mira Kim

Bio

Mira Kim is an artist and researcher working in contemporary jewellery. Her practice explores the transformation of material and surface through experimental processes, particularly the convergence of Mokume-gane and Guilloché engraving, alongside research into bioplastics. By combining traditional metal techniques with emerging materials, she investigates how context and perception are reshaped through making.

She holds an MFA in Gemstone and Jewellery Design from Hochschule Trier (Idar-Oberstein) and an MFA in Metal Design from Hanyang University. From 2021 to 2025, she was a Research Fellow at Hochschule Pforzheim, where she contributed to the MFA program in Jewellery and Future Making.
She was selected for SCHMUCK München 2026 and the Friedrich Becker Prize 2026 at the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau. She currently teaches in the Jewellery Art and Design department at Vancouver Community College.
 

Statement

Objects carry meaning through context. Tools and ornaments extend beyond function, holding ritual, symbolic, and social significance. Jewelry, in particular, exists as an object layered with cultural and symbolic meaning.
My practice explores what lies beyond the visible surface of objects and jewelry, focusing on the historical, cultural, and material conditions that shape their existence. Observing how different cultures perceive and attribute meaning to objects reveals how these perceptions influence both their creation and interpretation. In turn, objects participate in shaping social understanding, forming a continuous exchange between material and context.
Jewelry holds a unique relationship with the body. Worn on the body, it exists through movement, touch, and presence. The body becomes a site where object, wearer, and environment interact, allowing meaning to shift and evolve. Through this relational interplay, I approach jewelry not as mere adornment, but as an integrated, context-driven art form.
Through material experimentation and traditional techniques, my work examines how surface, structure, and material can carry layered histories and meanings. Jewelry becomes a site where body, material, and cultural context converge, creating space for new interpretations and forms of engagement.

CV