About Hyungzee Choi
Hyungzee Choi was born and raised in South Korea after its industrialization period. Many of her earlier memories consist of following her father, a mechanical engineer, around the busy alleyways, factories, and warehouses of Cheonggyecheon. She grew to love the smell of machine oil, the whirring and clanging of tools, and the functional aesthetic of machines, learning by watching over her father’s shoulder.
Her sketchbook is full of writings, calculations, and blueprints instead of drawings. She enjoys working with her hands, and her work reflects a high level of precision and delicacy. She received her Bachelor’s degree in industrial design and later returned to her first love, metalsmithing, earning a master’s degree in metal craft.
She is captivated by the elegant forms found in industrial machines, where each part serves a specific purpose without unnecessary decoration. Her work reflects her interest in mechanical movement and structure, influenced by her father. Inspired by Friedrich Becker, a pioneer in kinetic jewelry who also had a background in machining, she expresses industrial minimalism through wearable structural jewelry. She hand-fabricates her work in metal, sometimes repurposing mechanical components and drawing from the geometry and relationships of machine parts.
By emphasizing simple geometric and structural forms, she explores the clarity and tension inherent in mechanical aesthetics. This approach was first demonstrated in her solo exhibition “Mutate” in Seoul in 2002.
She moved to New York City to study abroad, and while raising her son, she opened a jewelry studio, BEESHAUS, in Manhattan in 2011. During this time, she continued developing ideas rooted in minimal structure and geometric form, while archiving concepts she could not yet fully pursue.
Now, her work focuses on exploring the intrinsic beauty of minimal structure, avoiding excessive adornment. Whether static or responsive to movement, her jewelry invites the wearer to experience how structure, form, and perspective shape perception.
Education
1998–2002 M.F.A. Metalwork and Jewelry, Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea
1993–1997 B.F.A. Industrial Design, Konkuk University, Chungju, Korea
Professional Experience
2011–Present Founder & Artist, BEESHAUS Inc., New York, NY / Raleigh, NC
2022–Present Studio Artist, Artspace, Raleigh, NC
2025 Juror, CenterFest, Durham Arts Council, Durham, NC
2004–2010 Independent Artist, New York, NY
2003–2004 Founder & Owner, Kirabo.co.kr, New York, NY / Seoul, Korea
2000–2005 Freelancer / Project Manager & Designer, HiPROJECT, Seoul, Korea & New York, NY
1997–1998 Apprentice, Studio SAPO, Seoul, Korea
1996–1997 Interior Design Intern, 2&5 Design Co., Ltd, Seoul, Korea
Solo Exhibitions
2002 Metalworks by Hyungzee Choi, GanaArt Space, Seoul, Korea
Juried Exhibitions
2026 The 49th Annual American Craft Made Baltimore, American Craft Council, Baltimore, MD, USA
2025 Craft + Design, Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA
2025 Studio Artists Showcase, Artspace, Raleigh, NC, USA
2024 The 49th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
2024 The 42nd Annual Smithsonian Craft Show, The National Building Museum, Washington, D.C., USA
2023 The 48th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
2023 Studio Artists Showcase, Artspace, Raleigh, NC, USA
2022 Studio Artists Showcase, Artspace, Raleigh, NC, USA
2002 M.F.A. Degree Show, Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea
2000 The 1st Alchemists Exhibition, Dongduk Gallery, Seoul, Korea
1996 Diploma Works of Industrial Design, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
1994 Exhibition of Paper Art in Korea, Seoul Art Center, Seoul, Korea
Awards
2026 American Craft Council Award of Excellence in Jewelry – Metal, 2026 American Craft Made Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
2018 Selected Participant, Red Dot Design Award 2018 – Vertices, Essen, Germany
2015 Selected Participant, Red Dot Design Award 2015 – 3456∞ Infinity, Swirl, Essen, Germany
1999 Contemporary Jewelry Competition, Il-min Art Museum, Seoul, Korea
1999 KDC 28th National University Design Competition, Seoul, Korea
Publications / Press
2024 CanvasRebel – Online Interview
2018 Red Dot Design Award Winner Database – Online Feature for Vertices
2015 Red Dot Design Award Winner Database – Online Feature for 3456∞Infinity and Swirl
2014 The Spoiler’s Hand, Issue 03: The View From Here (Winter 2014) – Featured Artist
2002 CRAFT (Magazine, Korea) – Featured Artist / Article
Thesis
Craft made using Industrial Waste Products to express Structural Beauty, M.F.A., Kookmin University, 2002