About

Philosophy

Hyungzee Choi (aka Hz) observed a connection in design, form and function between a beehive and her artwork. This inspired her to create and name her jewelry shop, "beeshaus". The Beeshaus jewelry collections convey a sense of simplicity and uniqueness of geometric shape.

Hyungzee Choi was born and raised in South Korea. Many of her early memories consist of following her father, a mechanical engineer, around the busy alleyways, factories, and warehouses of Cheonggyecheon. She grew to love the smell of machine oil, the whirring and clanging of tools, and the functional aesthetic of machines, learning a lot from watching over her father's shoulder. 

Her sketchbook is full of writings, calculations, and blueprints instead of drawings. She enjoys working with her hands, and all of her pieces are totally handmade.  Thus, her work is delicate. She received her Bachelor's degree in industrial design and then returned to her first love, metal craft design, and received a master’s degree in metal craft.

She is captivated by the elegant forms found in industrial machines, where each part serves a specific purpose without the need for decoration. Her work reflects her interest in mechanical movement and manipulation which was influenced by her father.  Inspired by Friedrich Becker, a pioneer in kinetic jewelry who also had a background in machining, she aims to express the beauty of industrialism and minimalism through her work in metalcraft. By repurposing machine parts into wearable jewelry and emphasizing simple, geometric, and structural forms, the essence of mechanical aesthetics was demonstrated in her first show, “Mutate”, in Seoul in 2002.

Her art explores how the pure geometric three-dimensional forms can be expressed diversely, based on the wearer's movements, method of wearing, or the viewing angle. She hopes the wearer experiences the joy of wearing a constantly changing ornament in its pure form, devoid of decoration.

Beeshaus proudly presents the finest quality in its collections through its meticulously precise and artful craftsmanship.  The majority of its collection is made of sterling silver(925) and/or 18k gold(750). Keum-boo(24-carat gold foil, origin: Korea), computer hardware parts, and other unique materials are used in some of the pieces. Geometrical form and completeness in the finishing touches, as well as skillful expertise in combining metal plates with non-metal elements, are made possible by the finesse in Beeshaus craftsmanship. Such finesse gives the cold metallic components a touch of emotion, breathing in warmth and life.

See more of her art work at:  www.hyungzeechoi.com

beeshaus
/bi:shaus/n  bee’s house, beehive, hive, comb
minimal l geometric l structural l combined l systematic l mechanical l functional l moderate