Youngmin Lee
Strokes and Stitches, 2023
Cotton, Hanji (Korean mulberry paper), Cotton thread 42"x51"x1"
I have made this work as an homage to the enormous labor and care my father practiced daily on hwa seon ji, a lightweight paper that hanji, Korean mulberry paper. Although the materials are different, I patched the small pieces of fabric together to transmit the essence and philosophy embedded in my father's work. The work is a very slow process but meditative. This is my way of paying respect to my father, also my reinterpretation of my native culture. This is my family collaboration piece and I hope I can keep my father’s perseverance and diligence.
Youngmin Lee
Remnants of memory, 2018
Vintage hand-woven cotton, ramie dyed in indigo, safflower, and fiber reactive dye 63.5 inches x 61 inches
When I found indigo-dyed, handwoven cotton at the antique store in Korea, it took me down the road of imagining the conversations and memories that cloth might have carried over time. This sparked my very organic creative process. I start by putting small fragments together, piecing more and more together as I work. Sometimes the piece grows as I planned, but other times, it grows as if it has its own intention. I just enjoy the rhythm of stitching and leave the result beyond my control. I appreciate the beauty that results from the long and slow process of hand stitching – a meditative act that creates an unexpected and spontaneous result.
