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Artist: Stephanie S. Lee
Exhibition Dates: December 1–29, 2024
Location: Freeport Memorial Library
144 W. Merrick Road, Freeport, NY 11520
From December 1 to 29, 2024, the Freeport Memorial Library presented Cabinet of Aspiration: A Modern Chaekgeori, a solo exhibition by artist Stephanie S. Lee.
In this exhibition, Lee reinterpreted the traditional Korean folk art genre of Chaekgeori—literally meaning “books and things”—through a contemporary lens. Her works placed cherished personal objects within the framework of traditional Korean bookshelves, exploring the universal and timeless human pursuit of happiness that transcends cultural boundaries.
By bridging the past and present, and crossing cultural divides, the exhibition illuminated how glimpses of joy could be found in everyday life. Lee’s captivating fusion of tradition and modernity not only showcased the richness of Korean cultural heritage but also engaged viewers with its visual harmony and poetic sensibility.
In addition to six bookshelf-themed paintings, the exhibition featured five works from the artist’s Everyday Series. This thoughtful dialogue between the old and the new invited visitors to reflect on shared aspirations and the simple pleasures that connect people across generations and cultures.
The exhibition was free and open to the public during the library’s regular hours.
Stephanie S. Lee is an artist, curator, and graphic designer whose work is deeply inspired by Minhwa, the traditional Korean folk art painting style. Her paintings and designs have been showcased in numerous group exhibitions at museums and galleries across Asia, Europe, and the United States.
Notable venues have included the Korean Cultural Centers in Paris, Madrid, and Washington, D.C.; the National Museum of Korea in Seoul; Indang Museum in Daegu, South Korea; Islip Art Museum in Islip, NY; Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center in Nyack, NY; as well as the Charles B. Wang Center, Queens College Art Center, Flushing Town Hall, and the Belskie Museum of Art in Closter, NJ. Her work has also been shown at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY, and in 2015, it was selected for Call for Chelsea at Galleria Ca’ d’Oro in New York.
Lee has presented solo exhibitions in public libraries, including the Piermont Library in Piermont, NY, and the Ridgewood and Closter libraries in New Jersey. Her works have also been featured in major art fairs such as Spectrum Miami Art Show in Miami, Scope Art Fair and Fountain Art Fair in New York, and the Affordable Art Fair in New York and Hong Kong.
Her accomplishments have been recognized through grants including the City Artists Corps Grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and a New Work Grant from the Queens Council on the Arts (QCA). She was named Artist of the Month by the Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center in Nyack, NY, and her work has been highlighted by media outlets such as WNBC News, CBS News, NY1 News, TKC TV, Hyperallergic, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Asia Week, The Korea Times, and Art Minhwa magazine.
Lee holds both a BFA and an MS from Pratt Institute and studied Korean folk art painting at Busan National University in South Korea. She resides in Queens, New York.
Beyond her artistic practice, Lee serves as the founding director of The Garage Art Center (garageartcenter.org) and KoreanFolkArt.org, works at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College, and teaches as a teaching artist with the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts.
The Korea Times
http://www.koreatimes.com/art
NY CultureBeat
https://www.nyculturebeat.com
$132.00
