Steven Young Lee

Refined jars painted with regal dragons made in government-controlled kilns held wine or flowers during Joseon court rituals. The Chicago-born son of Korean immigrants, Steven Young Lee first learned Asian ceramic techniques in a Western education system, studying vessels like this one in books and museum collections. His reinterpretation of a historical jar challenges traditional standards of perfection, elevating and exaggerating defects like drips and cracks. Lee personalizes the form with Tony the Tiger (mascot of his favorite childhood breakfast cereal), recalling a morning ritual that made him feel included in mainstream American life.