when you are forging, don't forget to close your eyes.
OU Jiun-You was born in Taipei, Taiwan, currently lives and works in Germany/Taiwan.
With a social science degree in international relations from National Taiwan University (TW), she started her artistic practices mostly by self-taught in Taiwan since 2008. After working and teaching in the field of metalsmithing for some years, the interests in stone led her to start her MFA study in Hochschule Trier, Idar-Oberstein campus (DE) in 2015, and later on Erasmus exchange in the department of jewellery and blacksmithing, Estonian Academy of Arts (EE) from 2016 to 2017. Since 2018, she has been working as a freelance artist and lecturer in Germany/Taiwan.
Her methodologies and working methods could be unfolded with the researches of both anthropology and psychology: from a structural perspective to a symbolic perspective; from the research of bricolage to liminality. As a bricoleur and an incompetent storyteller, she realizes her thoughts with an intention toward Gesamtkunstwerk through various media into (wearable) objects, sculptures, installations, and site-specific projects.
Her works have been awarded and selected in significant events: European Prize for Applied Arts (BE), Albert Haueisen Art Prize (DE), Friedrich Becker Prize (DE), Schmuck (DE), TALENTE Prize (DE), KORU 5: The international contemporary jewellery triennial (FI), Cheongju International Craft Biennale (KR), and New Traditional Jewelry (NL); her works have also been presented widely in Europe and Asia: Grassi Museum (DE), Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design (EE), Imatra Art Museum (FI), The Museum of Arts & Craft ITAMI (JP), Museum Arnhem (NL) and so on.