Textile artist Lee So-ra was born in South Korea in 1967 and has exhibited around the world. Now, her work has been acquired for public collections in the USA and Canada
My name is Lee So-ra and my work is a continuation of Jogakbo, the Korean patchwork tradition, with a contemporary twist. The technique was originally used to avoid waste by repurposing fabric scraps into domestic wrapping cloths. I design wall-hangings for less functional, more aesthetic purposes.
Ottchil No.2, which I recently exhibited at the Collect art fair in London, has an ethereal, almost stained-glass effect that works well in a gallery space but feels equally at home in a domestic setting. There is a linear element to my work, stemming from my background in German literature and affinity with the early modernist art movement, but my process is spontaneous. I gather fabric scraps from neighbours – old or unworn hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) pieces – and also collect unused remnants from hanbok ateliers.
Creating new works within the limitations of these pre-existing colours and textures is a fascinating process for me. I use natural oksa silk, prized for its translucent quality, to piece my work together intuitively. I double hem each and treat each fragment in rice starch, for resilience, before sewing them together to form the final piece. The technique I use on the seams, ssamsol, is as decorative as it is durable, though its structure can only be properly appreciated up close.
Textiles are tactile by nature, and the layered effect ssamsol creates serves as a visual reminder of the physical processes involved in the creation of the work. Essentially, one seam allowance is twice the width of the other, with the smaller one covered entirely, lending a blocky, textural effect to the fabric. This creates a pleasing contrast between the gauzy, ephemeral effect of the material and the abstract architectural forms that give my work structure. My approach is considered and mindful.
I begin by hand-washing the fabric, dyeing some segments using natural colourings from homegrown plants. The palette is intentionally muted, evoking the calmness of my artistic process. I work from home, and it is a largely meditative practice. The possibilities of Jogakbo are endless, and being able to work within this discipline with such a rich history is a privilege I don’t take for granted.
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