Mimi Jung
Not long ago we looked at the exhibition ‘Wall Hangings’ at Copenhagen gallery ‘Les Gen Heureux’. Today we delve a little deeper into the work of one of the artists, Mimi Jung, whose work is particularly alluring with its soft and rich colours, seemingly organic compositions yet meticulously crafted. Jung’s work is also two things at once: familiar in the sense of traditional techniques and entirely new in what she does with them, an aesthetic that combines old and new.
Jung studied fine art at Cooper Union in New York and graphic design at HGK Basel, where art and design practices influenced Jung’s practice so taking her weavings far beyond the realm of craft-making. Jung is not, and perhaps least, interested in technique (though her skill level is obviously at the highest level) but more interested in ideas.
Abstractions and landscapes, or something between the two where blocks of puffy wool jut out of delicate, intricate cross-hatched lines, or simple plain weave structures with long draping layers of tufting, and sometimes just exposed warp. There are flat pieces and three-dimensional sculptures, pieces that hang on the wall and stand free creating spaces.
For Jung, the process is varied, one piece pre-planned the other completely freestyled. “I like to mix it up”, she says, “If I’m doing a large scale weaving then it’s important to have a general idea of the composition sine each section will take days to finish. For the smaller weavings most of the time I like to keep it open and let the process lead the way.”
Perhaps Jung’s success comes down to her laid back approach, seeing weaving as comparable to meditating and letting the finished product emerge naturally. “I have a general idea of where to take the design of the weaving, but since each weft takes a tremendous amount of time and patience, I can’t really get ahead of myself. It’s best to zone out and remain peaceful until I get to my next color block.”
Credits: Mimi Jung
