Lee ShinJa (b. 1930) is a pioneering first-generation Korean fiber artist and educator. During the 1950s and ’60s, when working with thread and fabric was considered domestic labor, Lee broke new ground in the evolution of Korean craft. Against the conventions of traditional craft, she experimented with modern formal techniques, driving innovations in embroidery, dyeing, weaving, and tapestry to expand the breadth and depth of the genre, which at the time was still unestablished.

By the 1970s, Lee fully embraced tapestry techniques. Due to limitations in sourcing materials at the time, she cleverly repurposed fibers from wool sweaters and thread from bedding. When she was exposed to the works of international fiber artists at the 1970 Osaka World Expo in Japan, and later the 1983 Lausanne International Tapestry Biennial in Switzerland, she found the confidence to expand her practice into unique sculptural forms and installations.

In her Conversation between Circles series of the 1970s, Lee expressed simplified yet profound geometries of nature. Conversation between Circles IV, for example, uses repeated circular forms in a disciplined composition, with each shape rendered in vibrant, emotive colors. The recurring circle motif reflects her deeply personal spiritual journey and contemplations—an almost transcendent expression of prayers and aspirations, particularly as she coped with the prolonged illness of her husband, Jang UnSang (1926–1982). This emotional undercurrent imbues her work with a sense of quiet resilience, bridging the spiritual with the aesthetic in a deeply personal way:

“There are no obstructions in a circle. I created many circles, in the hopes that our lives can be unhindered like circles. My husband was sick in the 70s, so most of my works depict circles in the longing for aspirations to be fulfilled. Most of my works show circles because they represent infinity. That is why I like circles." [1]

1. Chung Kyoung-yeon, Oh Hwajin, “A Study of Korean Contemporary Craftsman - Lee Shin-ja -,” The Korea Society of Craft 13, no. 1 (2010): p. 122, interview with the artist.