Sojin Lee
Basketweaver
Seoul, South Korea
Recommended by Jaeyoung Kang
Time bound in thread
- Sojin's making process is guided by intuition
- Her repetitive gestures allow time and labour to be embedded within the final piece
- She often combines contrasting materials such as rattan and paper yarn, or raffia and wool
Sojin Lee is a fibre artist whose practice centres on weaving baskets as both process and language. Originally trained in visual design, she later moved to the Netherlands to study at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, where she joined the TXT (text and textile) department. There, Sojin developed a hands-on approach grounded in traditional weaving techniques alongside theoretical studies in philosophy, history and aesthetics. "Weaving is not simply a skill but a way of recording time, movement and decision through the hand," she says. Sojin's works, often resembling container-like forms, resist fixed function and instead emerge through an intuitive dialogue with material, colour and technique, allowing each piece to evolve beyond its initial idea.
INTERVIEW
Before forming a structure, I imagine a vague image of the final outcome, then begin weaving intuitively. Materials and colours often naturally lead to forms, but I also photograph the process and sketch over images to further develop and refine the shape.
Selecting the raw material and techniques is my most important step. I sketch briefly, but once weaving begins, the work evolves unpredictably. I now rely primarily on intuition to guide the final piece.
After discovering basket weaving, I explored Korean traditions and studied under master artisans. Inspired by the vast diversity of materials and methods, I now combine and reinterpret these traditional techniques to challenge convention and break the rules.
Repetition is both physical and mental labour. By slowing down and continuing the same gesture, I can focus deeply, and sometimes the work reveals its own direction. This accumulation builds a sense of time and presence in the final piece.
Sojin Lee
Basketweaver
Seoul, South Korea
Recommended by Jaeyoung Kang
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Seoul, South Korea
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
Korean, English
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