Biography
Taehyun Bang is a native Korean metalsmith and currently a resident artist at Pocosin Arts (North Carolina, USA). Bang received his MFA for Metalsmithing & Jewelry from The University of Kansas (Kansas, USA), and received BFA for Metalwork & Jewelry from Kookmin University (Seoul, South Korea). During his Bachelor period, Bang also went to KU for a semester as an exchange student. Before pursuing master’s degree, He worked in a jewelry company MAADSTUDIO (Seoul, South Korea) for 2 years.
During MFA, Bang taught metalsmithing to undergraduate students. He has various experience participating in group exhibitions, including juried and invited shows. Notable awards that he received are including; “First Place” from World Championship Belt Buckle Competition, “Honorable Mention” from Society of North American Goldsmith competition (2017), and “One of Three Finalists” from Midwest Metalsmiths Competition two years in a row (2017, 2018). Moreover, Bang received “Juror’s Choice” from Lewton-Brain Foldform competition (2018), and Honorable Mention from Hangju Craft contest in Korea (2012).
Artist Statement
I create work that is a metaphor for the vanities of life. There is a teaching in Zen Buddhism philosophy which I am immersed in: Life is full of vanity, but there is meaning and beauty when struggle happens. Like a moth flying into the flame, I work in metalsmithing to refer to meditation, discipline, and the transcendence of my limited human life.
I believe that devoting myself to intensive practice is a path to realization as a craftsman. To convey my concept, I set strict rules for the process of making, and force myself to follow them. After a long and rigorous production, I destroy a portion of the work in order to meditate on the idea of rebirth and transformation.
My hand-fabricated metalwork is brought to life and activated through a variety of digital media, which serve as records of my working process. The recorded digital media often then becomes part of the final piece. These blended metaphors capture ephemeral moments and immortalize them as reflections of the Buddhist concept of samsara, the eternal life cycle. I confess my agony and delight to the audience and users, who have a limited life stream like me. Consequently, I communicate a sense of nirvana that I have found in my struggle for metalsmithing.