My artistic practice focuses on contemporary metalsmithing and sculpture. I am interested in how people respond to changes in their surroundings and how ideas of identity, belonging, and home develop through personal experience. I work mainly with steel, found objects, and traditional metalsmithing techniques. I often use jewelry-making methods in larger sculptural works and installations, exploring the relationship between people, objects, architecture, and the spaces around us.
Steel is an important material in my work because of its strength, industrial quality, and ability to change through different processes. I use cutting, forming, soldering, fabrication, and surface treatments to transform the material into forms that suggest movement, tension, memory, and emotion. I often find inspiration in architecture, construction sites, urban spaces, and everyday objects. These visual elements help me think about how our surroundings affect the way we live, move, and remember.
My experience of living in both Korea and the United States has strongly influenced my work. Moving between different cultures has made me think more deeply about home, belonging, change, and adaptation. In my recent work, I have become more interested in personal stories and the experiences of immigrants. I use sculpture and installation to explore how people create a sense of home in unfamiliar places and how memories can connect us to different environments.
Teaching and community work are also important parts of my practice. As an artist and Art Lab Manager in a makerspace, I work with students and makers from many different backgrounds and skill levels. I encourage students to build strong technical skills while also experimenting with materials and developing their own ideas. I want students to feel comfortable taking creative risks and using their work to express personal experiences. Through both my artwork and teaching, I aim to connect technical skills, experimentation, and personal expression while continuing to expand the possibilities of contemporary metalsmithing.
Artist Bio:
Younha Jung is a Korean-born metalsmith and visual artist based in Houston, Texas. She holds an MFA in Jewelry, Metals, and Enameling from Kent State University and is the Art Lab Manager at TXRX Labs, a nonprofit makerspace in Houston. Working primarily with steel and found objects, Jung translates the techniques and visual language of jewelry into sculpture and site-specific installation. Through repetition, movement, and material transformation, her work examines the relationships between the body, architecture, and the built environment.
