WooJai Lee  |  이우재

ARTIST STATEMENT
WooJai Lee’s practice is centered around materials. Through material experimentations, he searches for the hidden potential of ordinary material. By transforming the materials into unconventional applications of furniture, interior elements, and sculptures, WooJai challenges the stereotypical ways of working with a material. Accentuating tactile qualities, he creates a material experience felt and told through the material itself. Through close observation, WooJai wants to generate an appreciation of the things we consider mundane. Old newspapers, the cracks in a brick wall and corners of a room all become inspirations for the material, form and narrative in his work. The work speaks of beauty in imperfection.

BIOGRAPHY
WooJai Lee is a Korean-New Zealander artist and designer. Previously based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, WooJai recently moved to Melbourne, Australia (2021). He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the Design Academy Eindhoven and a Master of Fine Arts from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Since 2016, WooJai has participated in multiple exhibitions around Europe and Asia, including at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 2022; Saatchi Gallery, London, 2018; and Space B-E Gallery, Seoul, 2020. His work is held in permanent collection of Schaudepot Lab, Vitra Museum in Germany. Founder & Director of designer collective, ‘The Materialists’,2017, WooJai curated exhibitions in Rotterdam, Eindhoven, and Milan (2017-2018). He has also worked on commercial collaboration projects with Swedish fashion brand, COS for their store in Gwangyo, Korea and Lynk&Co for their concept store in Amsterdam. WooJai’s work and artist interview was featured in Vogue, Korea, 2021.

CONTACT
email: info@woojai.com
instagram: @woojai

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EDUCATION
2016 - Design Academy Eindhoven, Bachelor of Arts, The Netherlands
2022 - Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Master of Fine Arts (with Distinction), Australia

EXHIBITIONS
2023
- Dancing Grid, Space B-E, Seoul, KR
2022   
- Craft Trend Fair 2022, Coex, Seoul, KR
- RMIT Master of Fine Arts Graduation Show, Melbourne, AU
- 사이에서: Feather and Constellation. Hanji Center, Seoul, KR
- Dear My Earth. Sisterhood. Alement Dongtan, Dongtan, KR
- It’s our F***ing Backyard. Design Material Futures, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, NL
- Repair : Re+pair, Contributors, Amore Seongsu, Seoul, KR
2021
- Tomorrow's Vintage Pop-up, COACH Korea, Seoul, KR
- STUDIO I by IONIQ, Pairing Table, Seoul, KR
2020
- Natural Object: Jayeonmul Part 2, Weekly Cabinet, Seoul, KR
- Paper is, Space B-E Gallery, Seoul, KR
2019
- Tracing Borders, TAC, Eindhoven, NL
2018
- The Way We Face Leather, Dutch Design Week 2018, NL
- The Materialists presents Paper Extended, Salone del Mobile 2018, Milan, IT
- Collect, with Mint Gallery, Saatchi Gallery, London, GB
- OBJECT Rotterdam 2018, Rotterdam, NL
- Embracing Exchange, Cologne Design Week, Cologne, DE
2017
- Dialogue with Material, Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design, Toyama, JP
- Craft Council, Dutch Design Week 2017, Eindhoven, NL
- The Materialists presents Paper, DDW2017, Eindhoven, NL
- London Design Fair 2017, London, GB
- Mint Gallery, London Design Festival 2017, London, GB
- Schaudepot Lab, Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, DE (In Permanent Collection)
- CODA Paper Art 2017, CODA Museum, Apeldoorn, NL
- Mint MetaCraft 2017, London, GB
- Ventura Lambrate 2017, Milan, IT
- OBJECT Rotterdam 2017, Rotterdam, NL
2016
- Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation Show, DDW16, Eindhoven, NL

COLLABORATION
2020 - OIMU x Woojai Incense holders, OIMU, Seoul, KR
2020 - Lynk&Co Amsterdam Store, Space Projects, Amsterdam, NL
2020 - COS x Woojai, COS Store, Galleria Department Store, Gwangyo, KR

CURATION
2018 - The Way We Face Leather, Dutch Design Week 2018, Eindhoven, NL
2018 - The Materialists presents Paper Extended, Milan, IT
2017 - The Materialists presents Paper, DDW2017, Eindhoven, NL

EXPERIENCES
2017~2019
- The Materialists, Collective, Eindhoven, NL (Founder & Director)
2016~2020
- Studio Woojai, Eindhoven, NL
2014
- Intern at Jolan van der Wiel, Amsterdam, NL

BIBLIOGRAPHY
2022 - i-D Korea, Vice, Interview, KR
2022 - GARM Magazine, Paper, Designer Interview, KR
2021 - Styler Magazine, Showcase_BE SUSTAINABLE, Photoshoot, KR
2021 - Vogue Korea July - 가구와 오브제를 창조하는 젊은 디자이너 6인, KR
2020 - CRAFT + DESIGN, Designer Interview, KR
2020 - Creators with Purpose, Audio clip
2020 - Arctic Paper - WooJai Lee - Paper Passion
2020 - Design Milk - Studio Woojai turns waste paper into bricks and furniture
2018 - Design Collection Book, Maison Claire Korea, Interview, KR
2018 - Why Materials Matter: Responsible Design for Better World, Seetal Solanski, Prestel, DE
2017 - INGENIOUS: Product Design That Works, Promopress, CN
2017 - FD Perfoonlijk, Verliefd Op Nederland, Interview, NL
2017 - Design360 Magazine, Interview, CN
2016 - ELLE Decoration, Artwork photoshoot, NL
2016 - Designboom
2016 - Dezeen