Exhibit inspired from Fulbright research in Korea

Mi-Sook Hur’s “Heritage Reimagined” exhibit is available to view in the Janice Hardison Faulkner Gallery on the second floor of the library, displaying works using enamel and metalsmithing inspired by colors and patterns of Korean Buddhist temple lattice doors.

Mi-Sook Hur talks to students for metal design appreciation and metal design survey class on the first day of the fall 2025 semester. (ECU News photo)

This exhibit stems from the prestigious U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program award Hur earned for the 2024-25 academic year. She focused on lattice designs from Buddhist temples of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

“I borrowed shapes, colors and rhythms from the temple doors and reimagined them in my own way,” said Hur, an ECU professor of metal design in the ECU School of Art and Design. “This process allowed me to connect the past with the present — to honor the original designs while expressing them through modern materials. Heritage Reimagined reflects my hope that viewers will look more closely at these traditional patterns and see how they continue to inspire new ideas today.”

An exhibit reception is Jan. 16 at 4 p.m. in the Faulkner Gallery, in conjunction with the ECU 2026 Material Topics Symposium.

Hur is an award-winning metalsmith and enamelist specializing in contemporary works that integrate metal and vitreous enamel. Her work has been exhibited at the Museum of Arts and Design, SOFA Chicago, and internationally in Japan and Italy. It is included in notable collections such as the Yale University Art Gallery and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in metalwork and jewelry from Seoul National University and a Master of Fine Arts in metals from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has received numerous honors in her field, including awards from the Enamelist Society, the Niche Awards and a Purchase Award from the Arkansas Arts Center.