"I am attracted to you"
lulu yee
November 1 - December 15, 2019
www.luluyee.net
www.instagram.com/luyeebee/
lulu yee
November 1 - December 15, 2019
www.luluyee.net
www.instagram.com/luyeebee/
Some “Things” may speak to us, while “Treasure” undeniably SINGS.
I am a maker of favorite objects and good luck charms.
Creatures waiting to greet you:
First Friday, November 1st, 5-8pm, Opening Reception
Saturday, November 2nd, 11-2pm, Art Brunch
Saturday, December 14th, 11-2pm, Closing Reception
- and by appointment -
First Friday, November 1st, 5-8pm, Opening Reception
Saturday, November 2nd, 11-2pm, Art Brunch
Saturday, December 14th, 11-2pm, Closing Reception
- and by appointment -
Interview with Lulu
October, 2019
cogean?: Hello lulu! Congrats on your recently completed exhibition in Iceland. What was that show about?
lulu yee: Iceland is a treasure trove of inspiration--in nature, all arts and of course their Sagas. "Undur/Wonders" refers to inspiration and fascinations of life. Even more than ornamental, I like my work to evoke a good feeling. One of the pieces is my loose version of a reclining Buddha--ceramic and gilded with 22kt gold leaf. I made her for my studio, where she watched over my work and me for over a year.
c?: After you make your ceramic figures you photograph them in situ. Do the photographs and creatures work separately? Or are they meant to invoke a specific relationship?
LY: My figures are complete as themselves. I do enjoy placing them in groups and environments, to create a glimpse of a story. Sometimes the photograph itself becomes art on its own. I am not always the one taking the picture- often it is a friend with whom I'm on an adventure with- I've been fortunate to have some very fun times doing that in Iceland with a few of my favorite people. There is a certain amount of work involved with carrying heavy body parts around in changeable weather. There have been casualties- and that is why many of my larger creatures have two heads.
c?: You have strong connections to many places. How do they influence your art?
LY: I love the different "hums" or rhythms I feel in Montana, Iceland and New York. I like "villages". Favorite places are more relaxing to work in--it also helps to be able to take long walks in quiet beauty.
c?: You work with many different materials (paint, paper, ceramics, textiles, beadwork and more); is there a dominant medium or does it just depend on the project?
LY: Clay has been my favorite medium for 6 years. Before then, ceramics had been a way for me to sketch and indirectly work out ideas for paintings. I get a different feeling sculpting ideas and seeing them materialize in 3d. I usually glaze my figures over time, firing multiple times. Most times of the year my studio has quite a creature population growing. Some I become quite fond of and they stick around. At different time periods, I have enjoyed obsessing on the "details" of a piece, as in hand sewing, or layers of paint. I love working with clay because it often feels like a relationship- there are definite responses from the materials. There are particular mediums I turn to for certain purposes. For example, I find sewing very personal.
c?: What would you say are some of the narrative threads running through your work? We know you’re inspired by Norse mythology (check out lulu's curatorial work for The Nordic Heritage Museum), but it also feels as if your creating your own myths. Can you talk about that aspect of your work?
LY: I work narratively likely because I am an escapist. Trying to see different possibilities. Like many children, fairytales, folk tales, myths were some of the first things I was exposed to that sparked my imagination. Revisiting them again as an adult, it feels rewarding to add your own twist. Making up our own reality might just be a coping method...or is it a way to manifest something more desirable than what already exists?
lulu yee: Iceland is a treasure trove of inspiration--in nature, all arts and of course their Sagas. "Undur/Wonders" refers to inspiration and fascinations of life. Even more than ornamental, I like my work to evoke a good feeling. One of the pieces is my loose version of a reclining Buddha--ceramic and gilded with 22kt gold leaf. I made her for my studio, where she watched over my work and me for over a year.
c?: After you make your ceramic figures you photograph them in situ. Do the photographs and creatures work separately? Or are they meant to invoke a specific relationship?
LY: My figures are complete as themselves. I do enjoy placing them in groups and environments, to create a glimpse of a story. Sometimes the photograph itself becomes art on its own. I am not always the one taking the picture- often it is a friend with whom I'm on an adventure with- I've been fortunate to have some very fun times doing that in Iceland with a few of my favorite people. There is a certain amount of work involved with carrying heavy body parts around in changeable weather. There have been casualties- and that is why many of my larger creatures have two heads.
c?: You have strong connections to many places. How do they influence your art?
LY: I love the different "hums" or rhythms I feel in Montana, Iceland and New York. I like "villages". Favorite places are more relaxing to work in--it also helps to be able to take long walks in quiet beauty.
c?: You work with many different materials (paint, paper, ceramics, textiles, beadwork and more); is there a dominant medium or does it just depend on the project?
LY: Clay has been my favorite medium for 6 years. Before then, ceramics had been a way for me to sketch and indirectly work out ideas for paintings. I get a different feeling sculpting ideas and seeing them materialize in 3d. I usually glaze my figures over time, firing multiple times. Most times of the year my studio has quite a creature population growing. Some I become quite fond of and they stick around. At different time periods, I have enjoyed obsessing on the "details" of a piece, as in hand sewing, or layers of paint. I love working with clay because it often feels like a relationship- there are definite responses from the materials. There are particular mediums I turn to for certain purposes. For example, I find sewing very personal.
c?: What would you say are some of the narrative threads running through your work? We know you’re inspired by Norse mythology (check out lulu's curatorial work for The Nordic Heritage Museum), but it also feels as if your creating your own myths. Can you talk about that aspect of your work?
LY: I work narratively likely because I am an escapist. Trying to see different possibilities. Like many children, fairytales, folk tales, myths were some of the first things I was exposed to that sparked my imagination. Revisiting them again as an adult, it feels rewarding to add your own twist. Making up our own reality might just be a coping method...or is it a way to manifest something more desirable than what already exists?
Seattle Times, 9 Seattle-area art experiences you won’t want to miss in fall 2019
Gayle Clemans, September 17th, 2019
Gayle Clemans, September 17th, 2019
