Bella Kim, Echoes of Eden, 2026, Recycled Materials, 41 x 21 x 4 in

Bella Kim creates leaf-like forms from sewn fragments of recycled plastic packaging and fabric. Through stitching discarded materials together, she transforms what was once overlooked into new patterns, textures, and visual narratives. Her process is intuitive, allowing the materials themselves to guide composition and structure.

Her practice is inspired by Jogakbo, a traditional Korean patchwork wrapping cloth made from small fabric remnants. Growing up watching the women in her family sew, Kim developed an early connection to hand-stitching that continues to shape her work today. She now collects discarded plastics, washing, sorting, and stitching them into new compositions that reflect both material care and environmental awareness.

Expanding on historical practices of reuse-where fabric remnants were repurposed within the home-her work extends this tradition to contemporary materials, incorporating plastic packaging and other household discards. In doing so, she addresses themes of consumption, waste, and ecological responsibility.

Through this piece, the story of Eden becomes a metaphor for human agency. Everyday decisions-what we consume, discard, or preserve-collectively shape the future of our environment.