Jennifer Lee

Jennifer Jaesung Lee is a first-generation Korean-Canadian visual artist, interested in reimagining male-focussed ideas of queerness through folklore and ritual.

Her Precious Sleeves project for the Incubator involved creating traditional Korean wedding sleeves/veils embroidered with the colours of the “progress” variant pride flag. Embroidered sleeves are used in the paebaek Korean wedding ritual where chestnuts and other treats are tossed by the couple’s parents into the bride’s sleeve, skirt, or veil. This ritual, carried out by family members, signifies the blessings of the family’s elders on the marital union. Jennifer’s reworking of the traditional embroidered sleeves with imagery and colours inspired by queer culture is an invitation to include queer peoples into the blessings and rituals of Korean culture, and ideas of family (chosen or otherwise).

For more on Jennifer’s artistic journey at cSPACE, please watch her artist documentary (listed below) or read our interview with her (link below).