Woo Jin is a mixed-media artist, specialising in textile art and soft sculpture. She's Korean-Chinese and moved to London to study BA Textile Design at Central Saint Martins in 2014. Her work explores her East Asian heritage through mythology, folk culture, and shamanisms, and how these ancient belief systems manifest in contemporary culture.
Why did you choose to study BA Textile Design at Central Saint Martins (CSM)?
I had always heard of CSM’s reputation as a high school student, but it was my art teacher then who encouraged me to apply. I started off with the diagnostic foundation course at CSM and quickly discovered the joy of working with textiles as a medium. The foundation tutors for the textile pathway were all so encouraging and inspiring, and I enjoyed the potential of textiles; its history, techniques, applicability, and materiality. At the time of completing my foundation degree, I was certain that BA Textile Design would allow me to continue developing my creativity, and yet open up various career possibilities for the future.
What have you been working on since graduating?
Since graduating from CSM, I continued my studies at the Royal College of Art Textiles MA course to further pursue working in the textiles fine arts field. When I was in my final year at CSM, I began to explore working with textiles in a fine art context and realised my passion for it. I concluded that I needed more time and head space to further pursue what I was beginning to get a glimpse of at CSM, which felt very precious. Since completing my studies in 2021, I have been working as a freelance artist, exhibiting widely within the country, Europe, and the US. I have been awarded the Fine Art Textiles Prize, have shown at the London Art Fair and the Miami Untitled Art Fair, and will be exhibiting at the Saatchi Gallery in the winter of 2025. I also work as an artist-educator to deliver bespoke art workshops across primary and secondary schools.
What was the most interesting project you worked on during your time on the course?
I think the design and make project at the early stage of the course was most interesting to me. The project was right after we had selected two of our specialisms from print, knit, and weave, and we had to produce outcomes across both of our chosen specialisms. I remember this project fondly because I focused on exploring various markets across London, and it was fascinating to learn how to find and convey visual narratives by observing the ordinary objects and scenes around me. Having to produce outcomes across both of the specialisms – print and weave for me – was also helpful in learning to think in both drawn and constructed surfaces as a way of storytelling.
What important piece of advice would you give to students thinking of studying this course?
The most important advice I would give to students is the importance of reflecting and writing. Looking back, the experience of writing a dissertation and having to comb through research to produce a cohesive argument has helped me so much in becoming an artist now. Although it is arduous, there is a clear long-term benefit to the experience, and I would encourage students to find an interesting topic that will drive both their creativity and the urge to reap the most benefit from the experience.
What was the highlight of your Central Saint Martins experience?
The highlight of my time at CSM is the hands-on approach of the course, having countless access to workshops and knowledge from the teaching and non-teaching staff, to experiment and make as much as you want. It’s also the place where I have met many of my closest friends, who understand the creative journey and will be on it with you for years to come.
What is the most important thing you learnt on the course?
The most important thing I learned in the course is research. Across all the projects throughout the three years, we were constantly challenged and encouraged to expand our research, visit the places, draw, document, collage, and record. To make our experiences a source of research and inspiration, and produce something unique and individual from it. This practice still rings close to me, guiding me still today as a fine art practitioner.
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