SCAD JEWELRY
Graduate Association
Mia Seo
Artist Statement
PLASTIC-PLASTIC-PLASTIC (2020)
The ocean pollution from plastic waste is serious. Not only visible garbage, but invisible micro-plastic is impacting both the ocean's creatures and the environment. My concern about the ocean environment is the starting point of this project. This recycled plastic collection emphasizes cognitive dissonance between nature and plastic, which evokes more meaning when it becomes jewelry communicating with the human body. When the plastic meets the ocean, it’s pollution,and in my works, the meeting of plastic and sea creatures (pearls, abalones) is a creative way of conveying the seriousness of pollution.
Responsible Aspects
For planet Earth, recycling is very important. The plastic waste has a great negative impact on the environment. Recycling reduces pollution caused by waste. In addition, recycling has a positive impact on water and air. Using plastic waste as the main ornament in my surrounding places, such as my school, room, and friends' houses gives numerous possibilities and directions to how we should start acting responsibly towards nature. My process of forming plastic, setting pearls, and electric forming represents the creativity of how I mimic the contemporary problems in our ocean and thereby raises awareness.
About Mia Seo
Mia Seo was born in Tong-young in the Southernmost part of Korea, a rural city often called "the Napoli of Asia." She lived there until she was 18 years old, where the city gave her the numerous inspirations and made her wonder about bigger cities across the sea. Even though her hometown was beautiful enough, she was always dreaming of a new world. For further study, she decided to move to Seoul to begin the study of jewelry. After receiving her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Metal Craft from Sungshin Women’s University (SSWU) in Seoul, South Korea in 2018, she decided to go to the U.S. to fill more of her curiosity in jewelry. She is currently an M.F.A. candidate at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. The creative process in her art pieces begins with her childhood experiences, using the metal, textures, colors, and forms of nature.