Christine Lee (b. 1973), a second-generation Korean American based in San Diego, has an interdisciplinary practice encompassing art, design, science, and sustainability. Her practice also includes engineering and science-based collaborations. She draws from a variety of investigation methods where intuitive direct-hand manipulation, traditional craft processes, and computer-aided technology are the central part of her research tools. Her natural inclination to salvage and a deep appreciation for the environment continues to inform her sculpture, functional work, and installations.
She has participated in numerous residencies at places such as Djerassi, Recology, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, the Workshop Residence, and as the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Artist-at-Sea. Her work has been exhibited at venues such as the 2022 UN Ocean Conference at the Ciência Viva Museum in Lisbon, the Explorers Club in New York City, Museum for Art in Wood, Traver Gallery in Seattle, SOFA Chicago, San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design, the Museum of Arts and Design, the Bellevue Arts Museum, the Society of Arts and Crafts, the Society of Contemporary Craft, the Aspen Art Museum, the Racine Art Museum, and the ASU Art Museum.
Lee received her Master of Fine Arts in Furniture Design/Woodworking from San Diego State University and her Bachelor of Science in Art from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was a Senior Sustainability Scholar of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University where she also taught in the School of Art of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. She is a 2022 recipient of the Maxwell/Hanrahan Awards in Craft.
photo credit: Jeovanna Pérez
Artist Statement
My artistic practice centers on an experimental, process-driven, and tactile methodology, guided by a natural inclination to salvage materials and a deep appreciation for the environment. At the heart of my creative process is the exploration of surplus or discarded materials in diverse conditions, alongside the investigation of fiber-based, natural, and sustainable substances. These efforts are fundamental to how I approach making and designing.
My background in woodworking, furniture design, and handweaving deeply informs how I engage with materials and shapes my sensitivity to their inherent qualities. Through intuitive manipulation, traditional craft techniques, and the integration of computer-aided technology, I employ a range of research tools that allow me to explore, stretch and refine materials beyond novelty. The repetition of tasks—whether performed manually or with machines—enables me to develop a greater understanding and responsiveness to the unique characteristics of each material. At the same time, working through multiple configurations, allows me to identify and generate new patterns resulting in the creation of objects, sculptures, and installations, that reveal the inherent value and unbound potential of these materials.
Alongside my individual practice, I have participated in collaborative projects spanning art, science, and engineering from their inception, serving as a creative practitioner within problem-driven and evidence-based research contexts. By identifying recurring patterns across media, scale, and disciplines, I continually search for the common threads that connect our environment. This interdisciplinary approach reinforces my commitment to understanding the interconnectedness of materials, processes, and the broader world.
CV link
Email me: interwovenlabs@gmail.com
Find me on instagram @missleeleeleelee