Minji Namkoong
is a fiber artist based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She earned her Ph.D. in fashion design and was an adjunct professor at Seoul Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea. She then moved to Ann Arbor in 2011.
Her work is based on Korean traditional elements such as Jogakbo, Nubi and Moon-sal patterns.
Jogakbo is the traditional Korean patchwork used to create wrapping cloths from scraps of leftover fabrics. Nubi is a sophisticated stitching technique across two layers of fabric and cotton between them. She applies these traditional techniques to create unique needlework and puts a great value on craftsmanship.
She is also influenced by Korean traditional patterns, especially the door pattern called Moon-sal which creates a geometric composition.
Her artwork is a continuation of her interest in exploring colors, subtle differences in tones, and proportions of geometry that consist of recycled fabrics from the Korean traditional costume, Hanbok.
This series of artwork pursues the aesthetic of harmony between color and composition studying different textures of fabrics and diverse hand-sewing techniques.
