Design
Re Jin Lee
A collection of Re Jin’s beautiful pieces.
Image courtesy of: April and May
As a child, Re Jin Lee believed that she would grow up to be a fashion designer. News flash- that is not what happened; but certainly Re Jin’s degree in fashion design from Faculdade Santa Marceline in Brazil didn’t hurt the path she was on. The artist grew up in Brazil to South Korean parents; creativity was always encouraged by her mother who was an artist. Following earning her B.A., Re Jin moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of working in the fashion industry. However, working as a stylist was not at all what the artist envisioned; she says (courtesy of Scribner Hollow Post), “I didn’t find that I had the same passion my peers had.”
Ceramic Table, textured ceramic form with a crackled, matte finish. Hand-built and one-of-a-kind.
Image courtesy of: Spartan Shop
While in the U.S., Re Jin discovered her passion for home and product design; and luckily, she had her creative background to reference. Re Jin began by drawing on functional items that she found in vintage markets; soon, she realized that she should create her own surfaces to draw on.
It was taking a hand-building class, an ancient method where the ceramicist creates forms without using a pottery wheel, that “felt like home.” Re Jin began to hand-build both functional and decorative ceramic art sculptures. Inspired by her upbringing, her work is a unique mix of inspiration from Brazilian modern architects including Oscar Niemeyer and his free flowing curves, traditional Korean arts, and Portuguese colonial architecture.
Re Jin with two impressive sculptures.
Image courtesy of: Scribner Hollow Post
Re Jin’s technique is different than most ceramicists, she favors coil-building and slab-building. In particular, slab building involves using a slab machine to press clay into a sheet that is then cut into different shapes and patterns. For Lee, this method is especially noteworthy because it references her background in the fashion world… specifically creating patterns for clothing and cutting fabrics.
Over the past decade, Re Jin’s ceramics have evolved from small functional objects to large sculptural pieces. It didn’t hurt her creative process that in 2017, Re Jin and her family moved from Brooklyn to the Lower Hudson Valley. Moving into a historic farmhouse, the artist was able to turn the barn into a ceramics studio. She says that finally living near nature (courtesy of Scribner Hollow Post) “has created more space for her both internally and externally, changing the way she approaches her work.”
A vessel with a blue design in the glaze.
Image courtesy of: OEN
Re Jin credits the softness of nature and the unpredictability of life as her most important influences. However her surroundings offer an added benefit; specifically that Re Jin can source her materials locally. In particular, Re Jin harvests mud from nearby riverbanks; she then processes the mud and turns it into clay. Re Jin also incorporates ash from her studio’s wood-burning fireplace into many of her glazes.
There is no doubt that South Korea’s long history of porcelain ceramics played a part in her work; and, it is clear clear that Brazil’s aesthetic has played a big part in Re Jin’s designs. The best way to explain the work is (courtesy of OEN) “a bridge between rustic and restraint.”
An image from a past retreat Re Jin hosted.
Image courtesy of: Unwind Retreat NY
Re Jin wanted to share the art of ceramics with the world, and as such, she founded Unwind Retreat in Hudson Valley, New York in 2021. The program offers summer retreats that provide attendees with “a full day of nourishment for the mind, body and soul.” Helping others to understand the benefits of working with clay has been Re Jin’s dream for some time. Even though she does not offer any formal training or instruction, there is basic guidance around creating with clay.
Re Jin also thrives on teaching the most valuable lesson she has learned: “love the mistakes and interruptions endemic to any artistic practice; to view these as opportunities rather than frustrations.” This is best explained via a quote from the artist herself, “I love when I start making something and it becomes something completely different. It could be the result of accidentally dropping a piece of clay and changing its shape, or maybe I wasn’t able to finish something in one day and have to go back to it the next day and it changes. It’s a collaboration with everything: your mood, the clay, the situation, interruptions. The unexpected is exciting to me.”
