Youngmin Lee – April 7-9
Website: https://www.youngminlee.com/
Korean-born artist Youngmin Lee holds a master’s degree in fashion design and a bachelor’s degree in clothing and textiles. She has presented numerous workshops, classes and demonstrations on Korean arts and crafts around the Bay Area in California and many other places. Recently she has demonstrated her Bojagi and Maedub at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco as a part of an Asia Alive Program. She also has participated in Oakland Museum’s Lunar New Year celebration with her Bojagi and Maedub artworks.
Artist’s statement:
Textiles hold history, and they have the power to initiate conversation about culture, tradition, time, and memory. I appreciate the beauty that comes from the long, slow process of hand stitching, which is a meditative act for me. I constantly practice stitches on the surface of fabrics and think about the invisible labor done by women throughout time. I use a variety of materials to make items that both reflect modern aesthetics and embrace traditional techniques. This represents my identity as one living in two cultures; bojagi is my interpretation of my cultural heritage and tradition. I create through a spontaneous and improvisational process, using various materials, from new bolts of fabric to reclaimed textiles.
IN-PERSON and VIRTUAL LECTURE: April 7, 9:30 am (CT): Bojagi, The Art of Wrapping Cloths
Bojagi (Korean Wrapping Cloths) are pieced together from small scraps of cloth. It is the most unique form of Korean textile art. Bojagi occupied a prominent place in the daily lives of Koreans of all classes. They were used to wrap or carry everything from precious ritual objects to everyday clothes and common household goods and also to cover food. It is also strikingly contemporary: the designs and colors of bojagi remind one of the works of modern abstract artists. Bojagi can be described as a true form of abstract expressionism. Youngmin Lee will talk about Bojagi during this lecture and show her Bojagi works after the lecture.
In-Person Workshop: The Many Faces of Bojagi
Tues, April 7: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Wed, April 8: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Thurs, April 9: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
In the past, Jogakbo, patchwork Bojagi, was made with leftover remnants of fabric from other projects. Using Korean traditional techniques such as Gamchimjil, Settam Sangchim and Ssamsol, Youngmin will teach basic Jogakbo construction in this workshop. Bojagi construction involves hand stitching, which can be very relaxing. While working on your Bojagi, wish for the happiness and well-being of the recipient of your finished bojagi.
During the workshop, Youngmin will show how to use many small pieces of ramie fabrics, silk organza and Korean silk gauze to create a geometric patterned Bojagi. The finished project will have a unique composition of different shapes, lines and texture.