'Enlightenment' body sculpture by Grace Lillian Lee
Object No. 2018/36/1
Grace Lillian Lee (born 1988) is a multicultural artist, a descendant of the Meriam Mer people born and based in Cairns, who draws inspiration from her indigenous heritage. She studied honours in fashion at RMIT and works closely with Australian Indigenous communities and art centres to foster their creative expression and cultural identity through fashion performances. Lee's body sculpture incorporates the 'Grasshopper weaving' technique distinguished in the children's toys and hanging ornaments of the Torres Strait Islands. As demonstrated in this particular piece, Lee adapts and develops the 'Grasshopper weaving' technique through the manipulation of scale, shape, form and material type to explore contemporary issues, such as multiculturalism and identity. Lee learnt the craft from Ken Thaiday, an established artist from Darnley Island renowned for magnificent ceremonial headdresses. Lee has shown her work internationally and is represented in the permanent collections of a number of cultural institutions, including the Kluge Ruhe Collection at the University of Virginia, the South Australian Museum, National Gallery of Victoria and Cairns Regional Gallery.
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Summary
Object Statement
Sculpture, 'Enlightenment', cotton webbing / timber cane / goose feathers / cotton and wool thread, designed and made by Grace Lillian Lee, Cairns, Australia, 2017.
Physical Description
Sculpture comprising a torso made of intricately woven white cotton webbing and wool thread with goose feather decoration on a timber cane support. The sculpture is accompanied by a perspex mount. Image: Bangarra Dance Theatre dancer Luke Currie Richardson modelling Grace Lillian Lee's 'Enlightenment'
DIMENSIONS
Width
500 mm
Depth
345 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
Designed and made by Grace Lillian Lee in Cairns, Queensland, 2017. Entitled 'Enlightenment', the repetition, texture and movement of the design is influenced by water, the source of life. The Museum commissioned the artist to make this sculptural body ornament in 2017.
HISTORY
Notes
This particular work is based on an earlier piece by Lee titled 'White: Enlightenment', which was made for the Cairns Regional Gallery in 2016. Grace Lillian Lee is a multicultural artist and descendant of the Meriam Mer people of the Eastern Islands of the Torres Strait. After graduating from a fashion design course at RMIT in 2010, Lee established a millinery business. In 2013 she was invited to present at the Cairns International Art Fair and since curated three parades designed to showcase the work of emerging Indigenous craft and textile artists. Lee is passionate about fostering an outlet for Torres Strait Islander and Indigenous Australian youth to harness their creativity and explore their cultural artistry and heritage in a contemporary setting. Speaking about her mentoring role, Lee said 'it's so rewarding seeing Indigenous youth experimenting in a space they wouldn't normally have access to in their traditional communities. It frees up their creativity in new ways and provides a gateway and the inspiration to travel outside of their communities, bringing their craft and philosophies into contemporary culture.' http://designonline.org.au/nature-and-beyond-the-artistic-fashion-of-grace-lillian-lee/
SOURCE
Credit Line
Purchased with funds from the Yasuko Myer Bequest, 2018
Acquisition Date
6 April 2018
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