At once rooted in tradition and entirely contemporary, the textile work of Lim Seo-yoon reflects a thoughtful, slow way of living, one woven from threads of memory, material, and modernity. Working from Buyeo, South Korea, Lim uses traditional Korean fabrics and hand-sewing techniques to create delicate yet spatially rich textile pieces that explore the passage of time and the relationship between the past and present.
“Tradition isn’t just a point in the past,” says Lim. “It’s an accumulation of flexible time, fluid, evolving, and alive.”
That philosophy underpins Lim’s “Face of White” series, recently exhibited at the KCDF Window Gallery in Seoul. Using translucent white fabrics, the works explore the varying depth and tone that can be achieved through light, layering, and hand stitching. Much like an ink wash painting, where shadow and nuance are drawn only from water and ink, Lim’s work relies on the interplay of material and light to create moments of quiet depth.
The motif of the jeong (井) well pattern, symmetrical and structural, runs through the series. Subtle folds and overlapping seams create a soft, shifting sense of form, while the stitching lines function both as visual elements and as structural supports. Lim often varies seam thicknesses to introduce dimensional effects, letting the stitch act not only as a connector but as a sculptural device that defines the work’s spatial rhythm.
While white remains central to Lim’s practice, valued for its subtlety, natural texture, and ability to reflect its environment, it’s not a limitation. “People associate my work with white, and I’m grateful for that,” she says. “But I’m also curious to explore bold colors. I want to slowly expand my palette while still holding on to the meditative depth white offers.”
Hand-stitching is another cornerstone of Lim’s method. She describes it as a form of tactile contemplation, an act that allows for precise interaction with the material. Unlike the speed of machine sewing, each stitch is placed with intention, allowing for sensitivity and rhythm. “A sewing machine pierces fabric with energy,” she notes. “But hand-stitching quietly connects it.”
In addition to textile works, Lim is exploring the possibility of launching a brand that reimagines sewing tools, drawing inspiration from sewing cultures in places like France, Japan, and the UK. “Tools carry cultural value too,” she says. “I want to create something that celebrates Korean sewing traditions through design.”
Lim has lived and worked in Buyeo for over a decade, and while geographic isolation poses challenges, most of her exhibitions take place in Seoul, the closeness to nature and distance from the city offer her clarity and creative freedom. The banks of the Geum River, visible from her studio, are a daily source of inspiration.
She plans to host an open studio in Buyeo, inviting visitors to experience both her process and the landscape that shapes it.
“Through fabric and light,” Lim says, “I want to express the invisible, air, wind, presence. My hope is that these works allow people to feel a moment of connection: with the past, with nature, and with what surrounds them but often goes unseen.”
