Junko Mori was born in Yokohama, Japan in 1974. She studied Industrial, Interior, and Craft Design at Musashino Art University, before relocating to England where she obtained another BA in Silversmithing and Metalwork at Camberwell College of Arts in 2000. Her art, deeply influenced by nature's intricate patterns, seamlessly blends microcosmic and macrocosmic elements. Mori's work has been exhibited at Chatsworth, the Science Museum, London, and National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh (2022), among other venues.
Sculptor and metal worker, Junko Mori was born in Yokohama, Japan in 1974. During her early years, she was exposed to the profound cultural heritage of Kyoto and Nara through annual trips with her mother, alongside learning the value of hands-on creativity from her father's DIY projects. She was also captivated by the intricate details of the natural world, a curiosity that was further fuelled by her experiences with a microscope, which revealed the complex beauty of minute details. This early interest in the minutiae of nature's patterns laid the foundation for her unique artistic approach. Mori pursued Industrial, Interior, and Craft Design at Musashino Art University in Tokyo, specialising in metalwork and earning her BA in 1997. After graduating, she sought to broaden her horizons and engage with the international art community. This exploratory phase led her to discover the work of Hiroshi Suzuki, a fellow artist who had studied at Camberwell College of Arts, London. Inspired by Suzuki's work and the dynamic art scene in London, Mori relocated to England to pursue further studies in Silversmithing and Metalwork at Camberwell, obtaining another BA in 2000.
Mori's deep connection with nature inspired her move to the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales, seeking a life immersed in the natural landscape. Her unique approach to sculpture, deeply influenced by the natural world — including plant and tree forms and sea creatures like sea urchins — is evident in her highly tactile creations. In her artistic process, Mori meticulously assembles thousands of small, individually hand-forged pieces of steel, silver, and iron. The unique character of each piece emerges from the nuanced differences achieved through hand hammering. These meticulously assembled components form complex, organic structures that, despite being made from inorganic materials, carry a life-like essence of movement and growth, exemplified by Silver Poetry Ring (2014, Temple Newsam Collection). This intricate sculpture was inspired by the phenomenon of 'spring fever', where an abundance of plants eagerly emerge after the long winter. In crafting this piece, Mori was influenced by the concise elegance of the Japanese Tanka, a form of poetry that uses 31 syllables to distill the beauty of the environment. Emulating the Tanka's structure, Mori forged 31 individual silver components, assembling them to mimic the organic explosion of new growth in the early spring in Wales. Weighing nine kilograms and constructed from pure silver, the sculpture is a testament to Mori's skill, with each component TIG welded to shape this elaborate and organic piece.
Mori's slow, intricate process not only reflects her fascination with the microcosmic patterns of nature, but parallels them with macrocosmic structures, such as those seen on Mars or within human blood vessels. This concept of 'repeat-ness' in nature, a recurring theme in her work, embodies a spiritual connection to the repetitive and meditative aspects of her craft. Her creations do not arise from preconceived designs but evolve organically, mirroring the unpredictability and inherent beauty of natural growth. As Mori has expressed, the final outcome is 'almost a gift from nature itself' (Leeds Museum), fully realised within the making and thinking process, which underlines the spontaneous and intuitive nature of her artistry. She describes her welding technique as 'unconscious', allowing sculptures to take their natural form. When a piece resonates beautifully with her, she concludes her work, favouring a straightforward appreciation of beauty over complex conceptualisation. This approach highlights her belief that art often arises from the distinct and the anomalous, set against a backdrop of uniformity (Knight 2018).
In 2005, Mori was one of eight metalworkers shortlisted for the prestigious Jerwood Applied Arts Prize in the metal category. Her work has also been recognised through several public commissions, including the White Rose, Wall Sculpture at Sheffield Assay Office in 2008. In 2013, the Holburne Museum in Bath presented her solo exhibition Coppiced Wood, showcasing major new works inspired by the venue's setting within the eighteenth-century landscape of Sydney Gardens. These pieces marked a significant departure in both scale and concept, with large-scale sculptures crafted from blackened steel. Inspired by the practice of coppicing (cutting down a tree to a stump to encourage new growth), the works captured the energy of stems and branches sprouting from coppiced trunks. In the 2013Modern Makers exhibition at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire Mori displayed a dramatic steel chandelier, showing alongside notable exhibitors, such as textile artist Ptolemy Mann, and ceramicist Felicity Aylieff. More recently Mori has shown work at the Science Museum, London and National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh (2022).
Mori believes in the joy and fulfillment derived from hands-on crafting, a theme she passionately promotes in community workshops and events. Leading workshops in traditional crafting techniques, Mori advocates for the therapeutic benefits and deep satisfaction of engaging directly with materials in the creative process. Junko Mori’s work is represented in major UK public collections, including the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Leeds Museums & Galleries, and National Museums of Scotland.