Michelle Im b. 1984

Michelle Im (b. 1984, Atlanta, GA) creates ceramic objects that explore themes of home, displacement, and cultural identity in the context of globalization. Through the lens of traditional Korean ceramics, Im examines the impact of historical and cultural forces on her Korean American identity. Using the vessel as a metaphor for the human body, she addresses the psychological aspects of embodying conflicting cultural ideologies such as individualism and collectivism. Im’s practice is materially and conceptually rich, merging traditional ceramic techniques with a contemporary narrative of identity. Utilizing terracotta clay and rooted in the low-fire Maiolica tradition, her process honors a lineage of artisanship.

Im's recent solo exhibition "Hello, Goodbye" at DIMIN was reviewed by Hyperallergic, Ceramics Now, Cultbytes, and Impulse. She was included the “Brooklyn Artists Exhibition” at the Brooklyn Museum (2024-2025) and featured in The New York Times’ exhibition review. She is currently participating in the prestigious 2026 Arts/Industry residency program with the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC). She was a 2024 Artist Fellow at the Museum of Arts & Design (MAD) in New York. She was an award recipient of the Center for Craft Teaching Artist Cohort (2023), an American Craft Council Emerging Artist Cohort (2022), and a Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist (2022). Other residencies and fellowships include Township10 (2024), Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts (Guest Artist, 2023), Penland School of Craft (Distinguished Fellow, 2023), and Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts (Visiting Artist, 2022).

 

Im holds a BA in Biological Sciences & Art from the State University of New York at Buffalo and is a faculty member at Greenwich House Pottery in New York City.