Michelle Yun hails from Mukilteo, Washington and has loved working with her hands ever since she was young. When she discovered jewelry making in high school, she felt an instant sense of connection to the process of metal fabrication. She pursued Jewelry and Metalsmithing at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in May 2018. Michelle also received the Irving Cooper and Myron Toback Award for her thesis jewelry collection. She participated in the Deconstructed Calculations Exhibition at Mobilia Gallery in September 2018, where she is currently represented.

As a Korean-American, her artwork embraces the essence of traditional Korean art and repetitive geometric sequences. Using geometry as her ruler, she strives for the impression of her handwork to become invisible in pieces that look nearly machine made, but never flawless to the point of sterility. During the process, she learns to let herself go and accept the beauty of human imperfection.

Ilias Lalaounis Gallery and Massachusetts College of Art and Design proudly present Michelle Yun’s work in an exhibition of studio projects resulting from their collaborative summer course, MassArt and Design in Athens, Greece: History and Making Under the Light of the Acropolis.

Event Details

In June of 2018, sixteen students and two faculty members from Massachusetts College of Art and Design participated in a two week program in cooperation with the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum in Athens, Greece. The program consisted of lectures, studio visits, excursions in and around Athens, and workshops. Ilias Lalaounis Gallery is presenting the results of the two day studio portion of this trip at the internationally renowned company’s Upper East Side location. In addition to the iconic fine jewelry business, the Lalaounis family operates their jewelry museum to provide educational and enriching opportunities for young jewelers and the public. The immersion of Massachusetts College of Art and Design students in the ancient city of Athens exemplifies MassArts’ explorative approach to making and viewing jewelry, in which students learn traditional metalsmithing skills while deepening their capability for conceptual analysis and problem-solving.