Artist & Designer Ella Yoo
Something unseen, yet undeniably present—perhaps that is what shines brightest and holds the greatest beauty.
I am drawn to exploring the things we cannot see: luminous memories, the emotions held within a single moment, and the inner qualities that shape who we are—our humanity and conscience. Through painting, jewelry, and objects, I seek to give form to this unseen world, one piece at a time.
Hello, I’m Ella Yoo.
My creative journey began with poetry. While studying creative writing, with a focus on poetry, in Korea, I encountered a poem inspired by one of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings. That single poem opened the door to painting and transformed the way I understood the relationship between words, images, and emotion.
Later, with the dream of becoming a jewelry designer, I moved to the United States and studied Metals and Jewelry Design at Rochester Institute of Technology. During my studies, I began creating abstract paintings in my studio, exploring things that cannot be seen—memories, emotions, conscience, and the inner world of a person.
As I moved between writing, painting, and jewelry making, I began to discover a deeper connection among the three. Literature gave language to what I felt, painting allowed those feelings to take visual form, and jewelry transformed them into tangible objects that could be worn and kept close. This connection became the foundation of my artistic practice, and I continue to work as both a painter and a jewelry designer today.
This artistic worldview first took form through Ella Yoo Jewelry. As Ella Yoo Jewelry evolved to focus primarily on bridal jewelry, O. Docent emerged as an independent brand through which I could explore jewelry and objects beyond the bridal world. Through O. Docent, I hope to share this artistic world with more people and bring art more naturally into everyday life.
I approach each design with the same honesty I bring to painting and the same care I give to creating a work of art. Whether worn on the body or placed within a space, I hope each piece carries a quiet sense of meaning and becomes something to live with and keep close.
With love,
Ella Yoo
Education & Artistic Research
2020 — BFA, Metals and Jewelry Design
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, New York, USA
For her BFA thesis exhibition, Ella presented an interdisciplinary body of abstract paintings and jewelry inspired by Robert Greene’s book The Laws of Human Nature. The exhibition explored the unseen forces within human nature and translated them into painting, sculptural forms, and wearable objects.
2013 — BA, Creative Writing
Daejeon University
Daejeon, South Korea
Undergraduate Capstone
Van Gogh through Poetry, Van Gogh through Painting: A Creative Dialogue between Literature and Painting
The capstone explored the relationship between literature and visual art, examining how Vincent van Gogh’s work could be interpreted through both poetry and painting.
Professional Credentials
2024 — Applied Jewelry Professional (AJP)
Gemological Institute of America
Selected Exhibitions, Art Fairs & Collaborations
August 2026
Time, Continued, Group Exhibition — Los Angeles, California, USA
February 2026
LA Art Fair — Los Angeles, California, USA
September 2025
Affordable Art Fair New York — New York, New York, USA
Participated in a silent auction with an original painting — Los Angeles, California, USA
2022
Collaborative work with artist Shu Wang featured at CLUSTER London — London, United Kingdom
2020
ACC Baltimore Show — Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Art Center Online Exhibition — Rochester, New York, USA
2019
The Project of Runway — Dyer Arts Center, Rochester, New York, USA
Student Honors Show, Fine Craft Show — Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, New York, USA
ALANA Artist Union Honors Show — Dyer Arts Center, Rochester, New York, USA
Selected Press & Publications
July 2026
Featured Artist Profile: “Lines and Colors on Canvas Become Jewels: Jewelry Designer Ella Yoo”
Women’s Economy Newspaper — South Korea, July 18, 2026
January 2026
Poetic Mind Signet Ring featured in Jewels Loved by Cinema by Eunmi Min, published in South Korea
August 2025
Artwork featured in Geumgang Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper, in its coverage of Affordable Art Fair New York — August 26, 2025
Stockists
Shop One, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Rochester, New York, USA