This article is from the May 2023 edition of SDPB Magazine. See past issues HERE.
Interview by Bob Bosse, former Director of Television at SDPB
In 2007, Dakota Life profiled artist Mi Young Lee of Sioux Falls, where she explained her career, her dreams, and her artwork. We recently caught up with her in her current home, Austin, Texas.
SDPB: The 2007 story was titled Painting a Dream. What is your dream in the current stage of your life?
Lee: I believe I have achieved my dream of becoming a professional artist. I have been fortunate to exhibit my artwork at many exhibits, and it has been rewarding to have my paintings cherished at many clients' homes, offices, and public spaces. I still participate with international exhibits and private commissions. In the current stage of my life, I am focusing on myself, traveling for fun, meeting people with different cultures, and enjoying playing pickleball at a local recreation center when staying at home.
SDPB: Tell me where your career has taken you since our 2007 story.
Lee: Since the story was aired and became available on YouTube, I have encountered more people who have recognized me and my art. As the story covered my young life as an art student and an early part of my career, many of my clients and friends were able to understand my background and connect it with my art to better understand my paintings.
SDPB: Has your inspiration or your point of view changed over time?
Lee: My source of inspiration always has been everyday life, the people that I meet and interact with, and the life events I experience. I try to pause at a juncture of certain life events, take a slice of feeling or emotions, and filter my interpretation on the canvas. The point of view that I maintain is that I make people happy through my paintings, and I try to deliver the message of energy and optimism.
SDPB: Has your symbolism changed over time, and if so, how?
Lee: The tools I use to express my feelings on my canvas are colors, gestures, and motions.
The fundamentals of my symbolism still remain unchanged. For example, childhood or growth is expressed in yellow, while energy is portrayed in red. Over time I have migrated from primary colors to mature colors where I even use the black color to depict positive mystery. As to symbols, I would use circles for connection, squares for the foundations of the current state and also for a passage from the past to future, and gestures done by brushstrokes for various emotions.