umbrella
west coast exhibitions

There are things that often do not attract aesthetic attention. They may even be overlooked, as if they were completely part of their surroundings. They are by no means banal, but they are often not immediately or always recognised as works of art. […] This may be the case with a bowl by [Young-Jae Lee], […]. The bowl stands there, apparently without any particular purpose. Often, someone passing by may notice its shape and colour without giving it any further thought. It is just a bowl, one of those things you find in flats or houses, on a table or on a low cupboard.

But it may also be that an object such as this bowl attracts attention. […]

Looking at the bowl, one may find it interesting. Perhaps one understands that the bowl is not pottery for everyday use. If one picks it up and turns it over, one will discover a signature inside the foot ring, written in calligraphic East Asian script. You can find out who it belongs to and then learn that the bowl is a masterpiece by an important ceramic artist, Young-Jae Lee. What at first appeared to be just a bowl has turned out to be a work of art. This, in turn, may be confirmed by the fact that you can look at the bowl for a long time and gradually discover its delicacy and solid lightness – its beauty. […]

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(Günter Figal: Excerpt from "Simplicity - About a bowl by Young-Jae Lee )

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Young-Jae Lee graduated from Seoul’s Academy of Fine Arts in 1972, and moved to Germany to complete a number of internships and further her studies in ceramic arts.

 

Since 1987, she has served as Director of Keramische Werkstatt Margaretenhöhe GmbH in Essen, Germany. In this studio, Lee creates works for her large-scale ceramic installations and independent exhibitions while simultaneously presiding over several apprentices who are responsible for manufacturing tableware sets.

 

In recognition of her ceramic career, Lee was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wroclaw, Poland, in 2016. Her works are featured in numerous international public collections, including the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Munich’s Pinakothek de Moderne.

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The exhibitions is supported by Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond, by Statens Kunstfond and by Den Jyske Kunstfond.