michelle yi martin

Instagram: m_yimartin

Website: http://michelleyimartin.com

Bio: Michelle Yi Martin is a self-taught weaver, born in Seoul, South Korea, and based in San Francisco, California. Yi Martin has been an educator of the humanities, interdisciplinary art, and progressive education for over 20 years. She has developed an art practice in this intersection of history, human engagement, craft, experimentation, and fine art.

Statement: As a Korean-American immigrant woman, I have always lived in the “in-between” space where the threads of one’s identity converge. This intersection is a balancing act—and although never fully achieved, the act defines me. I simultaneously hold the past, the unknown, and collective dreams; and sometimes, I am lucky enough to translate it through my work. My practice and choice of materials is an expression where conventional language fails. Fiber speaks to me, because it holds deep wisdom from deep time. I wonder if my ancestors held horsehair, wool, ramie, and silk in their hands as I do, or if they also saw the face of the cosmos in their weavings. The past holds possibilities for now.