sophia lee

My work is about creating the movement of organic forms and patterns inspired by nature and found materials. I transcribe and reveal the beauty of nature and urban waste through intuitive calligraphy. As an artist of two cultural backgrounds, Taiwanese and American, I am constantly marrying the duality in my work. The calligraphic gestures of traditional painting are my brush strokes, even when using bean pods, collecting coffee lids, painting murals or weaving plastics. The beautiful facades of my work hide my underlying anxiety for the impact we have on the environment. In my attempt to become a zero-waste artist, I collect things like junk-mail, yogurt tops, tea wrappers, and bits of broken glass to layer into my work. I cut them, shred them and make them mine. The trash bits from cutting them into shapes end up driving my next project. “Into the Garden” series is inspired by my mother and her love of gardens. I appreciate the wonders and joy of the plant world because of her . I hand cut the leaves and petals out of junk mails, food packaging, wine foils, etc. I use them to create the patterns and shapes I observe. The seeds are collected and stored in the painted box. Once they disintegrate, what is left but the calligraphy of what once was.