Mimi Joung was born in South Korea in 1972 and earned an MA in Ceramics and Glass from the Royal College of Art in 2005. Now based in London, she is known for her delicate and contemplative works that explore themes of identity, displacement, and the human condition.
Her recent practice draws heavily from literature, adopting a writer’s approach of observation, reflection, and discovery. Through methods she describes as “tracing” and “clay taping,” Joung translates poems, chapters, and recurring words into sculptures, vessels, paintings, and wall-based works. Literary influences such as Richard Brautigan, T.S. Eliot, and Sylvia Plath are woven into her visual language, alongside artistic references ranging from the meditative minimalism of Dansaekhwa to Renaissance landscape painting.
Grounded in a deep understanding of ceramic materials and processes, Joung’s work engages with the historical and symbolic weight of clay while examining form, color, and meaning through a distinctly contemporary lens. Her practice reflects both her personal literary passions and the imagined utopias and dystopias articulated by the authors who inspire her.
She also participated in the exhibition "BLACK & WHITE" Digital Catalog
