“Yi Martin is hitting her stride with a prolific body of sculptures that challenge the medium’s monumental and static lumbering stature with airy, dynamic works that respond to light and movement, which makes them impossible to capture in a single view; they must be experienced.” – juror Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher, Helen Hilton Raiser Curator of Architecture and Design, SFMOMA.

“Michelle Yi Martin’s deft use of materials manifests in ethereal, otherworldly woven sculptures best experienced in the round. Drawing from the long traditions of Bauhaus and Black Mountain College, her works are also rooted in the rich history of fiber arts in the Bay Area, home to such visionary artists as Ruth Asawa and Kay Sekimachi.” – juror Victoria Sung, Phyllis C. Wattis Senior Curator, BAMPFA.

As a Korean American immigrant, Michelle Yi Martin comes to weaving through memory and the quiet gestures passed down by her mother and grandmother.

Working with materials like horsehair, copper, jute, and fishing line, she builds forms that stretch, resist, and echo the tensions of migration and inheritance. Martin’s sculptural weavings like cocoons, veils, and skins are acts of listening, shaped by the ethos of Black Mountain College and a deep respect for process. Each holds stories that continue to unfold.