Bovey Lee’s meticulously crafted paper-cut drawings explore the struggle between nature, urbanization, and the ownership of natural resources. Lee’s drawings are rooted in her study of Chinese calligraphy and pencil drawing, mediums in which she was immersed while growing up in Hong Kong.
Lee begins by sketching out her ideas by hand. She then devises a digital template made up of photographs, downloaded images, scans from magazines and books, and vector graphics. After her template is in place, she hand cuts the image with a knife onto a single sheet of Chinese rice paper.
The often airy and fragile, lace-like structures she creates contrast sharply with the themes of power, sacrifice, and survival underlying her work.
“Cutting paper is a visceral reaction and natural response to my affection for immediacy, detail, and subtlety,” Lee explains. “The physical demand from cutting is extreme and thrilling, slows me down and allows me to think clearly and decisively.”