Junko Mori is a metalworker who creates intricate, organic sculptures in her workshop in North Wales.
She was born and grew up in Yokohama, Japan. Her father was an engineer, her mother a school nurse - and both of their professions had a lasting influence on her work and thinking, as did digging in her grandmother’s veg patch with her hands in the dirt.
Junko’s work is inspired by nature, particularly microworlds, and her pieces come together as a result of hundred, sometimes thousands, of tiny pieces welded together patiently over long periods of time.
Like Heather McLarty in my last conversation, Junko believes the imperfect nature of forged work is very important, but she takes this idea even further and neither the individual pieces or finished form of her sculptures are planned. Instead they all shape themselves and each other as a result of the making process.
Junko is fascinated by the human mind and took time away from her metalwork to study and write about the impact of minor repetitive movements on how our brains work and our mental health.
You can find out more about Junko’s work and the projects she’s involved in here:
If you enjoy this episode, you might also enjoy my conversation with Heather McLarty
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