Ema Shin

Textile sculptor

Lifelike anatomy crafted from soft fabric

Ema handcrafts and embroiders colourful hand-woven tapestries and sculptures
Her artworks present the human anatomy and nature
She tells the untold stories of women

Ema Shin’s intricate artworks are influenced by anatomy and botanical forms. She combines the traditional and contemporary to create bold, colourful works full of emotional energy using complex tapestry-making techniques and embroidery. She is a self-taught embroiderer since childhood and initially trained as a printmaker in Japan. In Australia, Ema studied tapestry weaving and began her practice thereafter. "Textiles suited my new lifestyle as a parent after 2014. I was able to be creative in short bursts," explains Ema. Life experience inspired her to share the untold stories of women through her sculptures which feature the human body in great detail, from a pelvis to lungs or the heart, to address what we hide away. Ema works out of a studio space at the Australian Tapestry Workshop.

Interview

Where did you learn to create?: Embroidery has been self-taught since I was 8 years old. For tapestry weaving, I was trained by master weavers at the Australian Tapestry Workshop in Melbourne. I originally trained in Japanese woodblock printing at university in Tokyo and Aichi.
How does your artistic approach unfold?: I draw inspiration from nature walks, anatomical and botanical books, the news, and stories about women’s various societal situations. I draw and make notes in my sketchbook when images come to mind. Then, I slowly build up the colours, textures, and details in my head as I create samples.
Do your heritage and upbringing influence you?: My grandfather originally migrated to Japan from Korea, and my parents wanted us to learn about our culture, language, and history. Since I grew up in Japan as part of a third-generation Korean family, I always felt that I did not fully belong to the country, making me sensitive to prejudice and discrimination.
Have you had any transformative exhibitions?: My first solo show in Melbourne, Hearts of Absent Women, toured five Australian venues from 2022 to 2024. During the tour, several works were purchased by private collections and regional galleries, giving me confidence and encouragement to pursue future ideas and works in textiles.

Ema Shin is a rising star: she began her career in 2016 and she started teaching in 2020