Karine Leger & Jaeok Lee

In Leger's introductory body of work for Lanoue Gallery, she further explores her series entitled, "La Forme du Ciel" (The Shape of the Sky). Similar but independent forms come together, at times nearly touching, other times precariously balancing on one another and, on occasion, merging.

Léger's coupled elements invite personification. One imagines the opposing forms/ personalities growing closer, tentatively, in an attempt to find common ground. Her subtle outlines encompass parts of each shape, perhaps suggesting a meeting of the minds.

Speaking of her own work, Jaeok Lee says:

"My garden is at the center of all my creative work. It provides me with inspiration and also a quiet space where I can regain my energy. My ideal blissful day is a whole day working with clay, alternating with working in the garden. They both meet my needs of working with my hands and being in solitude.

Hand building comes very naturally to me: pinching, coiling and slab building are my favorite hand building techniques. My pieces were fired to cone 10 reduction or soda kiln at Harvard clay studio and are currently fired to cone 6 electric at my home studio.

The healing quality of nature also motivates my work. A few years ago, I developed an illness that doctors could not diagnose. While going through various diagnostic tests, since I did not have much energy, I started working with very small objects. I would go out to my garden for inspiration and would start to pinch small forms of seeds, pods, berries and flowers. Over the course of one year, I made thousands of small pieces that filled a Chinese medicine cabinet that I bought from an antique shop a few years ago. I named the project, "Making My Own Medicine." The simple act of pinching the forms has been a healing experience that gave me enormous hope for my recovery."