interviews · No. 943

re jin lee ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

BY: anastasia foggy

I first saw a piece of Re Jin’s work in Sarah’s house. A stunning sculptural piece that made it in the cover shot for Sarah’s feature in Domino Magazine! Re Jin is one of Sarah’s favorite ceramic artists, and I fell in love with her work too. I was especially excited about her plant series. Re Jin’s work is influenced greatly by the softness of nature and from her past. She is a multi-faceted artist with a background in fashion and a passion for home and product design. It was a joy to chat with her about her work, and now we are dreaming of attending one of her retreats!

Introduce yourself, share a short bio:

I am a ceramic artist living with my family in a small rural town one hour north of NYC since 2017.

Born and raised in Brazil, I moved to the US shortly after graduating from university, and after a brief stint in the fashion industry, my career in ceramics began. In the span of a decade, my ceramics evolved from small functional
objects to larger sculptural pieces.

Have you always worked in ceramics?

I have a Fashion & Design background. Earlier in my career (early 2000’s), I worked in the fashion design and styling industry. Around 2008-2009, I transitioned to home design and, eventually, solely focusing on ceramics within a couple of years. My family has a ceramics history, and it was never something I thought I’d do professionally – it is funny how your path finds you eventually.

What kind of physical/mental space are you in when you work?

It takes a couple of hours for me to get into a good mental space to begin working. I need to get all the chatter out of the way, so I try to do that first thing in the morning. Classical music and podcasts help me focus. Though I prefer to be alone while working on my sculptures, the benefits of having company while creating a piece do not get lost on me. Everything affects my work.. along with the normal: traveling, books, nature…. the most mundane events of the day as well, like the music I’m listening to, the weather, the mood I’m in, interruptions, conversations… the type of company, the food I eat… I welcome all of this, even if it’s bothersome, as all of it combined makes the piece.

What inspired you to introduce your plant series into your line?

I’m very inspired by beautiful, healthy plants and aspire to have many in my house; however… even though I try my hardest, my plants don’t do very well in my care. I’m interested in the idea of having a permanent sculpture plant in the home.

Tell us about the retreats you offer:

My goal is to provide the attendees with a relaxing experience to escape the busyness of life, even if it’s just for one day. My passion is to share the benefits that working in clay provides to the mind and soul. The Unwind Retreat is designed so that you feel free to relax and open to reconnecting with yourself. I’ve partnered with two amazing women, a restorative yoga instructor, and a wellness chef, who play an enormous role in achieving this goal.

How does your background in fashion design influence your work?

My fashion background has had a great impact on my work. The training I received is still applied to many aspects of my work process, from the technicalities of creating a piece to how I like to present a collection.

Is there anything upcoming you want to talk about?

I’m excited about an upcoming show alongside a tremendously talented photographer.
The date is TBD in October and will be at the CAS gallery in New Canaan.

I will also have work at The Beck in October in Rhinebeck