04/24/2026
Artist, Youngjoo Lee describes the rhythm and techniques that have inspired her work.
Youngjoo Lee works are on exhibit and available for collection through May 2026.
Kanon
Kanon comes from the word meaning “rule.”
Just like a heavy rhythm, or the repetition of the same note,
I often created works by repeating certain units
or by capturing time.
Connecting those ideas,
I became interested in forms where the same shape repeats,
and as the notes repeat,
they gradually shift into something more interesting.
That process naturally led me to the theme Kanon.
Materials & Techniques
In the past, I worked with paper as my main material.
I used very bold, high-volume forms
and highly saturated colors.
In a way, it was a survival strategy
to stand out as a jewelry artist
and to survive in the art world.
Later, when I tried to work with the natural color of the material itself,
I began to think deeply about how to connect each unit.
Using thread or glue as an adhesive medium
felt limiting to me.
I wondered if there was a way
to interlace the material itself.
Then I realized that this kind of interlacing
was more suitable for metal—
the material I actually started with in the beginning.
So I returned to metal,
and unexpectedly, it fit me even better,
so I chose to continue working with it.
Silver, in many ways,
is more flexible than stainless steel,
so I tried to bring more variability into my work.
However, due to the nature of the material,
it actually takes much longer to handle.
Stainless steel, on the other hand,
has a strong character.
It is strong and lightweight,
so I design according to its properties,
create the forms on the computer,
and then cut them with a laser.
The first stages rely on a very fast mechanical system,
but the later stages allow more freedom in handling.
This lets me add color,
save time,
and quickly bring out the shapes
I had in my mind.
So now, I combine both materials—
silver and stainless steel—
in my work
