ARTIST STATEMENT
I’m working on my memories and feelings toward my vulnerability. My body of work focuses on overcoming and healing, especially the process involved. I weave. This is my way of representing my complicated feelings toward emotional sufferings. Weaving was a healing activity for me during times of distress, and now it has become my artistic practice. This time-consuming and tedious work forces me to face myself and allows me to pour my tangled emotions into my creations. Ultimately, I feel liberated. I use soft, fluffy material to weave. It looks very soft and warm, so people never recognize that it comes from such sufferings. Even though personal difficulties and sufferings are often viewed as negative feelings, I reimagine these feelings in my artwork as a symbol of patience and healing. The process of weaving is also a metaphor of strength. A single thread is weak and easily broken, but when woven together it’s getting stronger. I focus on this transformation, exploring the relationship between my journey of overcoming challenges and the elements that contribute to making something stronger. I recognize empathy in the emotions tied to vulnerability—feeling weak, incomplete, and sinking into depression when one realizes a lack of strength. I would like to support people in healing their anxiousness, weakness and distress through my work.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Seonyoung LEE is a weaver, designer and installation artist based in Chicago, IL. She studied Industrial design at Hongik University in Korea with a BFA degree. After graduating, she worked as a display designer for a fashion company, taking on roles in various locations such as Shanghai, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Seoul. Recently, she received her master’s degree for studying fashion and fiber within the Fashion, Body and Garment at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She participates in various exhibitions throughout the state. Seonyoung engages with ideas about overcoming and healing processes related to one’s vulnerability, specifically emotional difficulties. Currently, she is pursuing time-based installations and creating tapestries and soft sculptures through weaving.
© Seonyoung Lee