IMT Gallery is proud to present the first UK solo exhibition of Paris-based artist Soyoung Hyun. Invitation To A Ritual features two interconnected bodies of work: Purification box and Shadow. These works delve into themes of memory, transformation, and the delicate boundary between presence and absence. Hyun draws on personal and cultural rituals as pathways to emotional healing. Her ceramic pieces oscillate between functional objects and sculptural forms, blurring traditional boundaries and inviting viewers into an introspective experience.
Hyun’s Purification box series is a collection of clay vessels adorned with volcanic stones from Mount Etna. Each serving as a repository for negative thoughts or experiences—such as traumas, obsessions, or unwanted habits—that the individual seeks to distance from and transform. Drawing inspiration from personal and cultural rituals, these boxes provide a physical space to externalise and reinterpret these memories, facilitating a process of emotional cleansing. Through this series, Hyun examines how art can serve as a bridge between the tangible and intangible, guiding individuals toward healing and renewal.
Shadow series captures the ephemeral nature of shadows, sculpting them into ceramic forms that represent the silhouettes of vases and flowers. This series delves into the duality of permanence and impermanence, contrasting the solid, tactile nature of ceramics with the fleeting, intangible qualities of a shadow. Drawing on Korean folklore, where a shadow is seen as evidence of life, Hyun’s shadow works embody a paradox: they are tangible representations of something inherently immaterial, symbolising life and presence despite their lack of a fixed form. Through this, the Shadow series explores themes of existence, memory, and the delicate boundary between life and illusion.
Soyoung Hyun is a Korean-born, Paris-based artist known for her handcrafted ceramics that explore the perpetual transformation of organic textures and natural forms. Hyun’s practice embraces raw gestures and repetitive processes, reflecting on the harmony and tension between nature’s impermanence and the permanence of human touch.
Hyun studied fine Art at the University of Paris 8 and Hongik University in Seoul. She has exhibited internationally in Paris, Copenhagen, Ghent and Shanghai. Recent exhibitions include Un livre est comme un jardin que l’on porte dans sa poche (A book is like a garden that you carry in your pocket), Yvon Lambert, Paris (2025); Soleil Mauve (Purple Sun), Réfectoire des Nonnes, ENSBA, Lyon (2024); Dropping, LMDS, Shanghai (2023) and Impossible objects - Tell me i Exist, K41, Copenhagen (2023). In 2024, Hyun was invited to lead a workshop at Lafayette Anticipations in Paris, and presented an artistic protocol and conducted workshops as part of an exhibition at FRAC Île-de-France in connection with Warm Blooded and Earthbound by Eglé Budvytyté.
Coinciding with Invitation To A Ritual, IMT Gallery is excited to participate in this year’s London Gallery Weekend from 6 – 8 June. To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we are launching a new apparel label featuring wearable artworks. Join us for the launch event on Saturday 7 June from 7– 10pm.