Skin – about two square meters of soft protective enclosure, spanning over an intricate system of nerves, muscles, bones and arteries. Heart and soul are deeply nestled in this well-regulated fiber entanglement, biochemical and mental processes transformed to the entity of a living body, life and limb: The body as perfect container for secrets, memories and stories. These are unconsciously revealed by the skin by osmotic pressure, deliberately welled up through the mouth, articulated and confided to a trustable vis-à-vis. The eyes permit direct insight and access, a leading path to the subcutaneous ground.

Since Yen-Hua Lee is a trustable vis-à-vis, it occurs, that she gets to know the interior 'design' of somebody, her friends, even herself, which inspires her to create her drawings, photographs and ceramics.

LOVERS PROJECT is a tribute to affection, faith and friendship; Yen-Hua Lee's artworks are sensitive transcriptions, visible reflections of treasured dreams, feelings and sentiments.

The drawings: Dark silhouettes, the proportions of body and head distorted, elongated and contracted, gigantic or undersized eyes, the hands glowing in red: Pictures of bodies haunted by thoughts of shelter, reclusion, intimacy and communication. In her photographs, Yen-Hua Lee combines faces, shifted shadows and veils of inner circumstances to silver-tongued portraits, whereas the cute doll's faces, fragile porcelain and glossy surface, remain mute. Their shimmering eyes are leading nowhere; an inner life consisting of polyester fibers is rather unspectacular. But while placed in city environments, apparitional reflections in mirrors, innocent and pristine they appeal to our protective instinct. Porcelain has always been connected to skin concerning qualities of complexion, fragility and delicateness. Yen-Hua Lee uses these special characteristics for her work in and on ceramic.

The intrinsic bodily idea of Chinese calligraphy, the structure reminding bare vertebral compositions, also appears in these works. One circular installation consists of a variety of glazed cups, each cup housing the picture of an insect, a bug, a dragonfly or resembling signs. The brims define their habitats, the fragile creatures seem protected by outward danger, but they remain erratic and capricious, like the swarm of red or black flies, which populate several human shapes in other work on ceramic. Their restless buzzing is nearly audible. What story or feeling did Yen-Hua Lee record in these interpretations? It is not very difficult to guess!

YEN-HUA LEE is visiting artist from Taiwan, based in Chicago.

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