Biography

Born in South Korea, Jeong Ju Lee received a BA in Arts and Crafts from Chung-Ang University and an MFA in Metals and Jewelry Design from Rochester Institute of Technology, where she is now teaching as a visiting professor. The recipient of prestigious awards, including Best New Artist at the American Craft Exposition in 2013 and the Collectors Award at the Washington Craft Show in 2011, she has shown her work in numerous group shows and craft shows internationally.

Artist Statement

My recent work focuses on the potential for steel to create three-dimensional sculptural jewelry. Specifically, I am interested in line movement and spatial relationships in creations that combine raw industrial materials. Woven wire mesh is a very attractive material in which wires are structurally woven together to create different patterns. I experiment with unconventional, industrial woven mesh that people do not usually consider jewelry material. I discovered that when two sheets of wire mesh overlap with distance, they create beautiful patterns and geometry, giving the illusion that there might be something else in between. In my work, more than two layers of sheet mesh are scored, bent, soldered together and interlaced in order to invent new forms or patterns. The idea of transparency and an image of openness came to my mind. What makes the work strong is the fluency of lines that are fully exposed to the viewer, creating openings through which the viewer can peer inside. Intertwined layers of lines reveal a delicate surface through tightly woven composition. My intent is to develop intriguing patterns and textures to enhance the forms of the work. A building's facade, bridges, and construction sites are a part of the reservoir for my imagination. Inspired by the interior and exterior of the building structures, the forms evolve into geometric and architectural inspirations, composing unbounded linear networks with elegant edges. Infused with line, movement and space, there is a vitality in its aesthetic existence, expanding what should be expected in a piece of jewelry.