Royal College of Art
Graduates: 2024
Specialisms: Contemporary Craft / Jewelry / Sculpture
My location: London, United Kingdom
First Name: Minjeong
Last Name: Kim
University / College: Royal College of Art
Course / Program: Jewellery & Metal MA
Graduates: 2024
Specialisms: Contemporary Craft / Jewelry / Sculpture
My Location: London, United Kingdom
Website: Click To See Website
This project originates from material research. Upon relocating to a new environment, I noticed that amount of hand soap was decreasing with noticeable speed, which led me to realise my obsession with handwashing. This prompted me to contemplate whether the act of handwashing genuinely matters in terms of cleanliness itself or if the psychological comfort it provides is more significant. Observing hesitating to examine my clean hands under a microscope, I realised that this behaviour occurred because of a psychological dependency. Consequently, I shifted my focus towards elements that cause psychological discomfort rather than physical uncleaness. My research expanded beyond the relationship between soap and skin to encompass textiles that function like a second skin. I began comparing the fabrics of my clothing, which are constantly in contact with my body, to external fabrics, such as those covering underground seats. This exploration led to a broader material research project. The dark-coloured fabric covering underground seats, which likely appears to be filled with dust and is not clean, causes me significant stress and stimulates a strong desire to wash my hands. To address this, I began a project replacing this fabric with transparent material to highlight the importance of maintaining cleanliness in this environment.