Soorin Shin is a visual artist working in 3D printed sculpture, digital and installation art.
Her work concerns nature’s depiction in historical and cultural artefacts, especially those related to women, naturally leading her interest into ecofeminism. She explores the ambiguous border between the digital and the physical worlds in her works, interrogating the relationship between technology and nature.
Born 1993 in Incheon, South Korea, Soorin is now based in Glasgow. After obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons) in Sculpture & Environmental Art from the Glasgow School of Art in 2020, Soorin founded Wobbly Digital, a 3D printing and digital art studio, in 2021. Previously she studied Design at the Design Academy Eindhoven, and Media Design at the Dongduk Women’s University. Recently, her work was exhibited in More Space For The People at SaltSpace, Glasgow in 2021 and will be exhibited at the Hidden Door Festival, June 2022 in Edinburgh.
We spoke to Soorin about her residency at Convention House, funded by Garfield Weston:
“During the Convention House residency, I want to develop a new series of 3D printed sculptures that positively reinterpret Irworobongdo, the Korean historical artefact steeped in inequality and patriarchy. Continuing with my practice built around eco-feminism, my main idea for the project is to reattribute power in Irworobongdo. While nature in the original painting acted solely as decoration to shine on the male King’s presence, I want the natural elements to take centre stage in my sculptures. I will research and use only recycled plastic materials during the production process, as well as practising and honing my 3D modelling skill to leave the absolute minimum waste, which is one of the biggest advantages of 3D printing as an additive manufacturing process, feeding into the art world’s transition into the circular economy.
Furthermore, I want to contribute to the growth of Convention House and the local community by holding interactive workshops to share my knowledge and experiences of 3D modelling and printing. Although these technologies have existed for years now, there is still a very real barrier that prevents access for many people, particularly those less privileged: “technology and the digital are inherently political, in terms of access, inclusion and wider socio-economic contexts”. My idea is to hold three day-long interactive workshops with specifically selected participants, those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access the 3D modelling and printing practice.
After completion of this residency, I want to arrange and hold an exhibition in Convention House to share the positive outcomes realised. The exhibition will not only show the final sculptures of my Irworobongdo project, but also workshop 3D prints. Ultimately, I want to use this opportunity to offer participants a chance to showcase their work and celebrate their creativity in a public setting.
This residency will be a crucial opportunity for me to keep progressing as a female 3D printing sculptor of colour. I want to join the new wave in encouraging the world to be a more environmentally conscious and accessible place, one recycled plastic sculpture at a time”
