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 Untitled (1970s), Lee exemplifies what she describes as “sculptural ordering,” characterized by geometric motifs and abstract shapes arranged into symmetrical compositions with a strong vertical emphasis. This stylistic approach would later shape her quasi-religious works of the 1980s. By fraying yarn to introduce intricate textures and layering woven threads to create protruding, three-dimensional forms, Lee infused the piece with a distinct sense of volume and physicality. Untitled reflects her dedication to modernizing design and experimenting with materials, while transcending traditional fiber techniques to expand the expressive scope of her medium.