We are so excited to host Alice Kay Lee (she/her) as a visiting artist at Rain City Clay! Alice will be working in one of RCC’s semi-private studios for several months this summer. Alice is looking forward to having access to a studio space with unrestricted hours. She is excited to see what she can make when time isn’t a constraint to creativity.

Alice’s Bio:
Hello, I'm Alice Kay Lee, owner and artist of a kurious life, a microbusiness selling my pottery, art, and jewelry. I am a potter by trade, designer by training, and teacher by profession. I hold undergraduate degrees in Graphic Design and Interior Design, a teaching credential in Art, and graduate coursework in Secondary Education. High school students in California called me The Dragon Lady (aka Mrs. Lee) for nearly 10 years while I taught them art. In 2012, I thought I could juggle being both an exhibiting artist and a full-time educator. (I was sorely mistaken and ended up choosing the job with a pension.) My tattoos and big smile made me stand out at my daughter's PTA meetings when we moved to Seattle in 2017. Nowadays, you'll find me elbows deep in clay 6 days a week, hawking my wares at markets almost every weekend, and out in Seattle soaking up the art & culture at theaters and museums.

What are you most looking forward to as an RCC Visiting Artist?

I’m looking forward to having access to a space with unrestricted hours. I’d really like to see what I can make when time isn’t a constraint to the creativity. I’ve only worked out of one studio during the 2 years that I’ve been doing this full time so I’m very much looking forward to to learning how another studio flows and also learning how to mix my own glazes and firing my own kiln load of work.

What are your inspirations / influences when making work?

Meditation and mindfulness are a big part of my life which translate into my work through process and to final product. While I’m in the studio making work, whether it’s throwing on the wheel or hand building, I bring my meditation practice in, staying present and being kind when my mind wanders. The final pieces may display the meditation and mindfulness more obviously with words of loving-kindness like “May you be happy” and “May you be peaceful”. More subtly, I’m attracted to the way organic shapes and textures flow into my carved pieces.

How long have you been working with clay?

My first introduction to clay was when I was 12. Later on I took classes on and off in college. After a 20+ year hiatus, I came back to it full time 3 years ago.

What is your favorite part of the clay process?

I love carving. Carving low relief into a piece is my happy place; there is no better feeling than feeling how light a piece is after I’ve taken my carving tools to it and seeing the textures or figures really stand out.

When do you feel most inspired?

In general I feel most inspired after I’ve been exposed to art and other’s creations: museum visit, gallery walk, artist workshop. More specifically, I feel most inspired to create during late night hours. I’ll have ideas at night after I put my daughter to bed and want to go to the studio at 10pm for several hours.

How do you push through creative blocks?

This is an interesting question. I’ve started to see creative blocks less as frustrating obstacles and more as invitations to go find inspiration. So rather than to approach it head on as something to overcome, I recognize that my current data bank doesn’t have the answer I’m looking for. It sounds so cliché but taking a break really works. Going out for a walk, window shopping, browsing through books, and especially going out to see art at museums, galleries, even theater, help me feel connected to the world and always gives me a fresh perspective.

What valuable lessons have you learned along your artistic journey that you wish you knew when you first began?

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned along the way is to be flexible, to let go of expectation. Working with clay (as in life) is about finding a balance between right effort and being open to what arises. I may have a timeline of what I need to work on in the studio today, but more often than not, the clay isn’t the right wetness, or pieces haven’t come out of the kiln, or any number of things that may change what I had expected. Being flexible, and even welcoming, of unexpected events have helped me find more ease and joy in my working process.

If you could have a clay-making superpower, what would it be?

The clay superpower that I aspire to is to GO BIG! I would LOVE to be able to throw impossibly giant beautifully light-weight porcelain pieces to carve.

Do you like to listen to music or podcasts in the studio? If so, do you have a playlist or favorite musician, or show you'd like to share?

YES! Music is a must for me. I listen to a wide range of artists from Queen to Dr. Dre, to Lorde, to Japanese Breakfast, to Ed Sheeran, to Nirvana. It used to influence my work more when I was a painter, but I found that my pottery is pretty consistent despite what my earholes are receiving at that time.

What's next for Alice? Shows? Markets? Etc?

Currently I’m a resident artist with Waterfront Park’s Promenade Pop-Up Program, where 8 small businesses are hosted for the summer. I’ll have my pottery in 1 of the 4 kiosks right on the waterfront by the Seattle Aquarium until mid-September. On August 17th, my work will be showcasing at the Artists of Color Expo & Symposium (ACES 2024) along with other BIPOC artists in music, film, performing, and visual arts.

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Visiting Artist Highlight: Alice Kay Lee

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