Artist Statement

Michelle Im creates ceramic objects that explore themes of home, displacement, and cultural identity in the context of globalization. Through the lens of traditional Korean ceramics, Im examines the impact of historical and cultural forces on her Korean American identity. Using the vessel as a metaphor for the human body, she addresses the psychological aspects of embodying conflicting cultural ideologies such as individualism and collectivism.

Bio

Michelle Im (b. Atlanta, GA) is a Korean-American ceramic artist based in Queens, NY. She is a 2024 Artist Fellow at the Museum of Arts & Design and is an award recipient of the Center for Craft Teaching Artist Cohort (2023), American Craft Council Emerging Artist Cohort (2022), and Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist (2022). Her residencies and fellowships include Township10 (2024), Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts (Guest Artist, 2023), Penland School of Craft (Distinguished Fellow, 2023), and Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts (Visiting Artist, 2022). She holds a BA in Biological Sciences & Art from the University of Buffalo, SUNY and is a faculty member at Greenwich House Pottery.