Jina Seo (b. South Korea) is an artist and educator, currently holding the position of Associate Professor in Metal + Jewelry at Missouri State University. Her practice revolves around exploring the intricate relationships between the body, clothing, sexuality, fetish, and space. She received her MFA in Metal from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and her BFA in Metalwork and Jewelry Design from Kookmin University in Seoul.

Seo's work has received recognition both nationally and internationally, with exhibitions at Munich Jewellery Week, Brooklyn Metal Works in Brooklyn, NY, Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN, Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, IL, and (AV17) Gallery in Vilnius, Lithuania. She recently participated in the exhibition "Colorful Minds: Contemporary Enamel and Jewelry" in South Korea and Baltimore Jewelry Center, MD.

In addition to her artistic pursuits, Jina Seo contributes to the field as a board member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths. She has shared her expertise by teaching workshops at prestigious craft schools, including Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Penland School of Crafts, Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft, and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.

Artist Statement

The extraordinary power of objects is obtained, because people believe in them. The more mundane the objects are, the more powerful they become.

My practice contextualizes the primitive energy that is submerged beneath the layers of garments. When the body is removed, the absence becomes an empty structure. The internal structure is evidence of human existence. It remains full of authentic spirit and fantasy.

Through the processes of deconstructing and reconstructing materials into symbolic forms, I uncover the hidden intimate and sensual power of humanity. It is a moment when ordinary objects become surreal and uncanny in order to redeem the socially constructed expectations and perceptions.