Soojin Choi is a Philadelphia-based artist who successfully marries traditional Korean craft with an American free-spiritedness in her works, writes Alexa Brazilian for The New York Times.

Choi came to the United States for college from Changwon, South Korea. Today, she is a resident artist at The Clay Studio, the Olde Kensington-based nonprofit creative center focuses on ceramics.

The 32-year-old’s structurally intricate pieces are defined by the idea of communication and all that can be lost in translation. She creates oversize stoneware sculptures that depict balloon-like heads reminiscent of Surrealist works, as well as works that showcase pairs of human figures with their arms, legs, and faces twisted together.

“I’m interested in gestures and facial reactions because I believe we can read each other more clearly through body language, especially because I’m always thinking and speaking in two different languages, and not perfectly in either one,” Choi said.

In some ways, she added, “I feel like a foreigner in both Korea and America now — but at the same time, I feel more empathetic for the differences between the countries, too.”

Her work helps her find that balance.

Read more about Soojin Choi in The New York Times.

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