Shell of Desire by Ye-jee Lee
Humans like to flaunt, we use ornaments to attach certain symbols of achievement to our bodies. Symbols that depict our ideas of honor, power, affiliation, money, and education. Consider the spectacular decorations of the Sistine Chapel, symbolizing the sublimity of religion, or a coat of arms boasting the authority of an imperial family. Today, these symbols can be found on the buttons of clothes, the insignias of uniforms, or the patterns embossed on various types of certifications.
In Shell of Desire, Ye-jee Lee reprints these symbols using forgotten or discarded metal dies. Viewing the act of reprinting objects in a symbolic language as analogous to spreading metaphorical messages embedded in those objects. Her ornaments visually rearrange the symbols that represent objects of human envy and bind them together into a new bouquet of stories, for people to revisit and form fresh relationships with.
Exhibition Dates: October 11 - November 15, 2024
An opening reception was held on October 11 from 5- 8pm
