_Into Lee Chuting space

PORTRAIT

• What is most important to know about you?

Hi ! my name is Chuting Lee I come from Taiwan and I’m an artist. I do paintings sculptures and performances with my craft. I come from a very traditional family. And I was a designer and I’m an artist now

• Where do you think your creativity came from? A Family member or friend or Teacher or Just from practicing? 

It comes from… a lot from my practice that when I work with handcraft with my hands and then there’s also a lot associates with the family the memory from people I love and then from… Any kind of things and that would make me put my emotions into my work. 

• Growing up in Taiwan, what perspective does this bring to your art?

Make me feel like I have so much of a special and rich culture background with me, I can bring it back to the UK 

• What themes do you work on? Do they pass on a message you want to share with your art?

When I’m making creates, so that I want to do, and it’s very important for me, I put my feelings into my work.

But it really depends on how people take from it because everyone’s from a different background. Everyone has different knowledge and then also it’s very interesting to see what is people feedback and then that can make me think as well. 

• How did you change from accessory design to glass art and painting?

I think how I was trained was really unique and I can do everything I want. After I graduated I realized maybe I can be something more than designer. I worked for a company I designed shoes and handbags for four years and then I always serve people. After that period of time, I feel like I’m really want to put more attention. To focus on myself and to develop more about myself as an artist

• What are the main differences you can find between the fashion world when you were working on accessories and the art world?

Working on the art, it’s more like finding a way to serve yourself. Trying to like… Dig yourself deeply and then , you need to give the voice onto the work yourself. And then the things comes from inside of you.

• You were invited to be an artist in residence at the glass foundry Cotswolds UK, what did you learn from this experience?

I learned glass casting and molding with wax and how to turn something that you want to copy and turn it into that.

• What inspire you before starting a piece?

I work a lot with the raw material and gather the materials that I am interested in.

And I play with my hands my intuition and mold it, twist it, and get inspired while I play with it

• You are working with Glass, painting canvas and also working on handbag designs, how do you manage your time?

I just need to work and them on different time schedule and see if I want to work more and glass, or paintings… 

• What is the last creative new thing you did?

Now I am working more and sculpture and learning to built my sculpture in larger scale, and that’s a new thing for me recently

• What is the importance of working in a studio space away from home?

It’s very important because you cut everything off, from what you should be worrying at home or at studio

• Do you learn from the other artist around you? Are they working on the same things as you or is it varied?

I am sharing wit six other artists and everyone practice is very different. I learn seeing what they do, learning a lot from different people, practice and life

• Do you think the routine from your past full-time job helps you organise your time?

Definitely, I think being a designer really trained to manage what I want to do. Also help me think about how to accomplish the final object.

• You are about to become a mother, do you think the will change anything about your art ?

When I found out I was pregnant. I didn’t see myself would change anything for this, but I noticed people start looking at me in a different way. I became curious about this ‘new tag’ of my identity. As my belly grow bigger and bigger day by day. Feeling a little life dancing in my body everyday is quite a magic. I want to embrace this changing and throw my feeling into my work. This could be a good project for this year!   I know I have a lot physical restrictions and the need to take care of myself, but my brain has no limit. I might work less but smarter!

MUSIC

• A song for getting in the mood to work?

To concentrate I listen to Bach

• A song for traveling to your studio

I listen to podcast about art 

• The baby’s favorite song? 😊

I sing song to my baby, a cat song because I don’t remember any song so I just sing a meow meow song.

• A song that reminds you of growing up in Taiwan?

I remember when I was twelve or thirteen, I loved pop song Chinese pop song.

• Favorite British song?

When I was little the most famous one was spice girl it was very popular

• A song your husband introduced you to?

A lot of reggae style, and played it a lot

• Something else you want to say?

I think art is a life time practice and I feel very bless that I can now spend more of my time to my practice now and that I will have more things to show you in the futur, soon 🙂