Timothy Hyunsoo Lee

Hyunsoo Lee’s mother was an important influence in his development as an artist. She studied ceramics in Korea during a time when it was considered purely a craft and not a fine arts form. The artist remembers seeing these large urns as a child in Korea, and being confused by how "ugly and nonfunctional" they were – “My mother created giant vessels traditionally used to store fermenting Kimchi, but carved into them large holes that rendered them essentially nonfunctional”– Remembers. “I didn't understand the significance of her works until I began to study sculpture in college”. Timothy’s mother ultimately gave up her pursuit in being an artist because of the many obstacles she faced, and it was because of that experience that she pushed her son to study art, but was initially very reluctant in Hyunsoo Lee’s decision to make it his profession. Dojakki, meaning ‘ceramic’ in Korean, is a tribute to his mother: who instilled in him the love of art, and sacrificed her own practice so he could pursue his.