BIO
A sculptor and ceramics artist of incredible caliber, Jihye Han received her BFA from the University of North Carolina and her MFA from the University of North Texas, as well as studying Chinese literature in China. She has been recognized by a variety of different awards and honors, including the Bayou City Art Festival and the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, and recently accepted a position to teach at the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy. She was born in 1986 in Seoul, South Korea, finished an undergrad degree in China, and then moved to the US in 2008 after falling in love with the States. This interview largely covers Jihye Han’s journey across geographical areas and new stages of self-discovery, such as her discovered passion for sculpture after moving to the US. It touches on the early importance of family and mentorship to Ms. Han and her experiences in Houston as an artist-in-residence at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, as well as her teaching experiences at Alvin Community College and Lamar College. Most critically, she discusses her philosophies as a teacher and an artist, emphasizing the importance of work ethic and time management. She reminisces about the beauty of art as not being constrained to identity: the idea that one sees the art first before the artist. Finally, Ms. Han discusses her experiences of cultural adaptation, idiosyncrasies, and hopes for the future.