Bokeum Lee
Somewhere in knitted blue
The series explores everyday motifs and childhood memories created through hand-knitted fabrics and cyanotype prints.
By combining material, technique, and subject matter, the works produce images that range from clearly recognizable to abstract, artistically capturing the transition between precise and vague memories.
The presentation varies: the works are stretched, pulled, or spatially arranged. Certain scenes emerge prominently, while others fade or transform through layering and distortion.
This interplay of sharpness and blur underscores the complexity of memory and emotion.At the center of the work is the translation of photographs into new forms that express past and present feelings and relationships.
Personal elements and meaningful objects are integrated into the pieces. Light acts as a connecting medium, creating a collage of fragments of the self and aesthetically revealing the process of remembering and forgetting.
In addition, the tactile nature of the hand-knitted fabrics emphasizes the intimate connection to the past, evoking sensory experiences tied to memory.
Combining analog and digital techniques, the series bridges traditional craftsmanship with contemporary artistic practices, inviting viewers to engage with the emotional depth of reconstructed memories.
Flowerfield
(2025)
Flowerfield(2025)
Cyanotype on hand-knitted fabric, fixed with thread
dimensions variable, 4000x120cm
Roof(2025)
Cyanotype on hand-knitted fabric, fixed with thread, wall hooks and tie to wall
dimensions variable, 960x9000cm
Timeline
(2025)
Timeline (2025)
Cyanotype on hand-knitted fabric stretched on the wooden frame
dimensions variable, 50x3000x5cm
String figure
(2025)
String figure (2025)
Cyanotype on hand-knitted fabric, metal frame
dimensions variable, 2300cmx80cmx50cm
@bokeum__lee
bokeum.lee@outlook.com
lievs in Germany, based in Dortmund and Seoul.
Bokeum Lee (*1996, Seoul, South Korea) is an artist living in Germany and studying for a Master's degree in Photography Studies and Practice at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. In her series 'Somewhere Knitted in Blue', she combines hand-knitted textiles with cyanotype to make memories not only visible but also tangible. The works oscillate between clarity and blurriness - like the memories themselves, which fade, change or have an intense after-effect. Childhood motifs, family photos and everyday scenes serve as emotional anchors, and the feel of the textiles evokes deep-rooted emotions. The series invites us to surrender to the fragility of memories and consciously experience their emotional resonance.
EXHIBITIONS & PROJECTS
2025 – Internationale Photoszene Köln2025 – Süß? Sauer?, Galerie 52, Essen (Group exhibition & curation)
2025 – Stopover 2025, SANAA Building, Essen
2024 – Luminous Traces, City of Gold, Essen
2024 – Folkwang Finale, Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen
2023 – Once in a Blue Moon, Galerie 52, Essen
2022-2023 – Photographic Project "ROTEM", funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science NRW, South Korea
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
2025 – German Photobook Award, Bronze (for the photobook ROTEM)2024 – Nomination, Documentary Photography Award, Museum Folkwang & Wüstenrot Foundation
2024 – Deutschlandstipendium
2024 – Photography Scholarship, Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia
STUDIES
2023 – present – M.A. Photography Studies & Practice, Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen2018 – 2023 – B.A. Photography, Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen
2015 – 2016 – B.A. Photography Studies, Chung-Ang University, South Korea