Notes from the Studio: with Yoora Lee

HP What is the first thing you do in the morning?
YL I drink a glass of water with probiotics and check my phone.

HP Describe where you produce your work, and why you chose that space.
YL I’ve always mostly worked from home. Since moving back to Korea, I have a small studio apartment that I use as my workspace, but I don’t keep set hours. I tend to work on impulse, so I often end up bringing my materials home and painting there instead. The traffic here is terrible and the commute eats up too much time, so home just makes more sense. And honestly, I love working in my pyjamas in a completely private space. That’s when I feel most free.

HP Where do you go to feel energised creatively?
YL I don’t really go anywhere specific for creative inspiration. I find it very close to me. It comes from photos and videos I capture in daily life, images and ideas I encounter through media, or new collection patterns from fashion brands I love. Ideas tend to spring from the things I see and feel in my immediate surroundings.

HP If you could choose one word to describe your work, what would it be?
YL Drama.

HP What do you do when you need to escape the studio and reset your mind?
YL I love going on road trips with my partner. We’ve started collecting stamps from national parks, and now we have a goal of visiting every park across the United States.

HP What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
YL Make a bad painting.

HP If you weren’t an artist what would you do?
YL Probably something in fashion or beauty. Maybe running my own business.

HP What is one thing you couldn’t live without in your studio?
YL My laptop.

HP What book are you reading right now?
YL What Every Body Is Saying by Joe Navarro.

HP What is the best decision you have made?
YL Moving to Chicago.