Visual Arts

Art Projects Gallery, in partnership with Festive Korea 2015, is delighted to present “La Divina Commedia” featuring award winning Korean ceramic artist Lee Yun Hee’s first solo exhibition in Hong Kong. Based in Seoul, contemporary ceramic artist Lee is known for her highly imaginative and exquisite hand-made ceramic sculptures that intertwine European literature and objects with Asian sensibilities.

The inspirations for Lee’s art comes from one of the greatest works of world literature, the “Divine Comedy”, a 14th century poem by Italian Dante Aligheiri.

While the original poem describes Dante’s travels through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven, Lee casts a young girl as the main character in her works, a heroine who defies all odds to overcome the many trials and tribulations of life.

The stories of this journey of self-discovery and themes of strength and hope are portrayed in Lee’s sculptural compositions that feature a rich assemblage of European architectural forms and objects inspired by the setting of the poem’s rich cultural backdrop from 14th century Europe. Lee imbues her sculptures with her own cultural identity and contemporary re-interpretations of the literature in three-dimensional splendor embellished with highly intricate details, colors and patterns.

Lee (b. 1986 South Korea) graduated from Hong Ik University with a Master of Fine Art (Ceramics) in 2012 and a Bachelor of Fine Art (Ceramics) in 2008. She was selected to be resident artist at the Clayarch Gimhae Museum in 2013, in its program to support innovative and experimental artists. At the Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale (2013), Lee was named one of the top twenty emerging artists in a selected list of international talents.