Hana Kim
I create Bojagi—traditional Korean patchwork textiles—working primarily with luminous natural fibers such as Mosi (ramie) and Oksa silk imported from South Korea. I explore the union of light with handwoven Mosi and Oksa silk and treat light as a material rather than an effect. As light enters the patchworked planes of Mosi and silk, cloth and light merge into a single luminous medium. In this exchange, light becomes part of the cloth, and together they form another medium—one that breathes through shifting color, transparency, and structure.
Rooted in a centuries-old practice shaped by Korean women, Bojagi emerged from a culture of care and resourcefulness during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), when even the smallest remnants of cloth were preserved and stitched together into patchwork wrapping cloths for carrying, covering, and ceremonial gift giving. My work honors this tradition of resilience and mindful making while reinterpreting Bojagi in a contemporary context.