Most of us think of luffa simply as a bath sponge — something practical, almost forgettable. But in From Texture to Form, artist Yeji Kim invites us to see this humble material from a completely new perspective.
By deconstructing and reassembling its woven texture and soft structure, she transforms luffa into everyday objects and art pieces, blurring the line between sculpture and daily life. Each work reveals the material’s natural lightness, warmth, and unexpected beauty.
Kim’s practice goes beyond function or form; it is about discovering new possibilities and quiet beauty in materials we often overlook. By using luffa — a biodegradable material that grows in nature and returns to it — she shares the value of a more mindful, sustainable way of living, while questioning the role of craft in our lives today.
Each piece reminds us that craft can hold poetry, and that even the most ordinary things can bring new depth and gentle beauty into our daily moments.
Studio Ko
3107 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020
Exhibition Dates
September 11 (Thu) – September 28 (Sun)
Hours
Thursday – Sunday | 11am–4pm
Curator's note
As someone who runs a space that sells things, I think about objects constantly—what they’re made of, how they’re used, and most importantly, whether they’ll last.
To me, the most important thing isn’t just selling beautiful things. It’s about offering pieces that stay with people. I never want anyone to feel like they wasted their money. Cheap things often serve their purpose—but not for long. They break, fade, and eventually end up in the trash. Then we buy again. And again.
Not everything expensive is truly worth its price. But I believe my role is to help people choose wisely—to make thoughtful purchases they’ll cherish and use for years to come.
That’s part of why our very first exhibition at Studio Ko begins with From Texture to Form.
The artist, Yeji Kim, works with luffa—a natural material most people know only as a bath sponge. At first glance, it feels too fragile, too common to become art. But in Kim’s hands, it transforms. Through careful deconstruction and rebuilding, she shapes luffa into everyday objects—trays, mats, light shades, baskets—that feel both familiar and entirely new.
What drew me in was the material’s quiet contradiction: soft yet structured, disposable yet enduring. And Kim’s approach isn’t about turning it into something grand—it’s about letting the material speak. About showing that even something overlooked can carry quiet beauty.
Her work is rooted in sustainability—not just as a concept, but as a way of making and thinking. In a world of climate crises and overproduction, using biodegradable, plant-based materials is not only responsible—it’s poetic.
And maybe that’s what stayed with me: The idea that art doesn’t always need to be monumental. That it can be modest, slow, and woven into daily life. That something as simple as a luffa—reshaped, reimagined—can hold a new kind of value.
This exhibition is about that transformation.
From texture to form. From the ordinary to the intentional.
From what we touch without noticing, to what we live with—fully aware.