Bloc magazine summer 25.

27 Born in Seoul and living in France since 1992, Lee fuses conceptual art with traditional craftsmanship, drawing connections be- tween language, function and form. At the heart of the exhibition is a hu- man-centric measurement: the span of the hand. Lee expands this idea across a series of vivid, tactile works, including new com- missions developed with Birmingham City University’s School of Jewellery. SIX PENCE (2025) recalls Birmingham’s once-booming Victorian trade in mother-of-pearl buttons, evoking, in Lee’s words, “stars walking on clothes” as they glimmer subtly from the gallery wall. Lee’s ongoing Blanket Project U (2014–) uses Nubi, a traditional quilted textile technique from Tongyeong, South Korea. Each hand- stitched blanket reflects a folk proverb through colour, geometry and direction of weave. For Ikon, two new quilts interpret British sayings, further expanding Lee’s linguistic and cultural patchwork. From South Korea to Oaxaca, Mexico, W (2017–2018) features woven palm-leaf baskets crafted by women in Santa María Ixcatlán. Suspended like living figures, these forms echo the landscape and oral histories of the region. Lee’s fascination with traditional Korean painting shines in SPAN (2025), a rhythmic abstraction inspired by dancheong murals. Meanwhile, SLOWWATER (2022) elevates dancheong’s bold palette through an archi- tectural installation of wooden latticework – part sculpture, part dreamscape – that shifts with every viewer’s step. Presented alongside Ikon’s summer group show Thread the Loom, Lee’s exhibition is a striking exploration of craft as language, memory and meaning. Supported by the Bagri Foundation and in- ternational partners, this is a rare chance to encounter Seulgi Lee’s spellbinding fusion of heritage and contemporary expression. ikon-gallery.org/exhibition/seulgi-lee 25 June – 7 September 2025. Open Tuesday – Sunday, 11am-5pm. Free entry, please consider making a donation.