The Mastery of Jewelery Art

I was born in Japan from a Korean mother and Japanese father. I spent my childhood and youth by the sea. In the winter months we lived in a small provincial coastal town in Japan and in the summer, we moved to a seaside resort in Korea. I believe that this closeness with the sea filled me with a desire to explore the world. The vast expanses of water seemed to constantly whisper to me. Life in Japan still has many traditional aspects. Values such as respect, honesty and family life are still held in high regard, although, just like many parts of the world, globalisation had had a huge impact on society, introducing new values-consumerism, mass consumption, technology and the search for wealth. As a young man, I was restless. According to tradition, I should have studied, found a regular job, married, created a family and worked hard until retirement. I was not happy with this prospect. I constantly dreamed of an adventurous life beyond the limited confines of my town. I watched foreign films and listened to foreign music. My mother saw my restlessness and so she decided to take me to visit a fortune teller. He told me that I would become a jewellery maker and that I would live in a far-away country. Shortly after, I started travelling and exploring the world. I visited Africa, Asia, Europe and America. I loved India for the chaos, the abundance of bright colours and its profound spiritual values, but Italy has impacted me more than any other country. My first years here were not easy. I was naive and I believed that becoming rich and famous was as easy as drinking a cappuccino. I met up with many people, some of who were like sirens promising me fame and fortune. Life dealt me a few hard lessons. I now know that I should never trust anyone who makes wild promises. I also know, that to achieve anything great, one must work hard, study and have great determination. I also have great faith in the universe. Every day I pray to become a better person. My work is enjoyable. Every day, I discover new things. I am truly passionate about what I do. I play with coloured stones and pearls. I have integrated my oriental roots into Italian design. This mix is clearly visible in my collections. I have created “Byzantine Korean, Primitive Barocco and the Infinite love knot”, among others. I believe that I am a very lucky man and I am very grateful to life.