ARTIST STATEMENT
I am interested in the space that exists between the tangible and intangible, between what we perceive and the reality beyond our perception. My work is about the index of presence, something formed and revealed by making marks in time. I create a void which within its absence reflects the actuality of our presence.
I work with materials that bear the imprints of our lived moments, such as leftover coffee grounds, scrap wood, and moisture from my breath that lingers on the window in December. I seek to grasp transcendent moments in ordinary surroundings, to create intimacy through sensation, and to make the familiar unfamiliar. Making art is part of my spiritual practice, a journey to understand the meaning of the existence of myself and others. I hope my art will form a deep connection between myself and you. Can we contemplate, together, the transience of our time and the finite nature of our being?
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Olivia JS Lee is a Chicago-based Korean artist whose work explores the boundaries of perception and reality. Her art lies at the intersection of the tangible and intangible, using materials that reflect the imprints of our lived moments. She has been working as a Senior designer and Art director, and showing as an artist nationally and internationally including Chicago, New York, Maryland, Budapest, São Paulo and South Korea. She is also an educator currently teaching at College of Dupage. Olivia holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
© Olivia JS Lee