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Unraveling Ceramic Sculptures Are an Eloquent Reminder of Quickly Passing Time

Seoul-based artist Haejin Lee creates ceramic works that look as though they'll unravel at any moment. Concentrating primarily on the human body, the sculptor fashions heads and feet that look mostly whole, but have ribbon-like strands rippling from the top of each piece. They appear in various stages of disarray, with facial features that have been twisted and multiplied, which adds another facet of eeriness to the already-surreal works.

Lee's sculptures are beautifully crafted, yet have a sense of unease about them. The edges' untangling appear as a symbol that things are going awry. For the human body, this could signify a loss of control or consciousness, like we're not who we once were. Lee applies this same sentiment to time by producing a clock, conveying the feeling that the hours are gone before you realize it. These works stand as an eloquent reminder to cherish what we have in the present rather than constantly fretting about the unforeseeable future.

Haejin Lee: Website | Instagram
h/t: [DesignFaves]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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