Hyein Lee, “In Bruges I”
Every so often we’re going to post little question and answer sessions with interesting folks. We will ask them about their lives, their favorite art, their favorite zines, or whatever! Today we post a chat with Toronto artist Hyein Lee. Hyein is a former engineer who left her career to pursue her true passion – llustration (and she also does motion graphics). She draws weird, cuddly monsters, cute videos of young people having adventures (and finding love), and smart fuzzy animals – among other things. She illustrates magazine covers and ad campaigns, designed a Canzine campaign for Broken Pencil, had her work plastered over Toronto billboards and boxes, exhibited in France and won many awards, including the RGD Design Thinkers Scholarship in 2011. Her blog is funny, positive and inspiring. We asked her a few quick questions about her life and career.
Broken Pencil: Why did you trade engineering for art? (also, what kind of engineer were you?) Can you tell us a little more about how that decision came about?
Hyein Lee: I was a geological engineer. They do underground structures, dams, wells, mines, reclamation and things like that. I loved studying engineering, but real work was a different matter. I loved math and science, but I always knew I was an artist. I thought if I get hit by a truck tomorrow, I’d regret not giving art a try. So I made a career change. There are ups and downs, but I am very happy at the moment. I would’ve been rich if I stayed an engineer. But material things aren’t everything in life. I learned that if I desire fewer things, I get happier.
What was the reaction of your friends and family and teachers? Were people largely supportive of this decision?
My parents were very supportive of my decision. Asian parents aren’t usually like that, so I’m very grateful for them. My parents both used to work in the art field in Korea. Teachers weren’t supportive at all. They didn’t understand why I would throw away my math and science skills.
Where do these creatures you draw and create come from? On your website, you explain that these creations are often reflective of your mood at the time.
Most of the monsters are reflection of myself. How I feel monstrous in social situations. Their characteristics come from variety of sources such as Disney, manga anime, etc.
While on the surface, art and engineering seem to have little in common, both disciplines (in my experience) seem to involve a form of creation – you are generating ideas, putting the components together to make a functional whole, etc. Do you find these two disciplines operate completely separately in your mind now that you are a full-time artist, or do you find that the engineering part of your brain makes appearances on occasion?
I often get asked if my engineering training comes through my art. For some people, I think it could be true. But for me, I haven’t been able to. My left brain seems to be completely separate from the right.
In a perfect world, what would be your dream way to pursue your art and also make a living?
In a perfect world, I’d sell more art and get more freelance work! I am actually happy at the moment and where things are going. Financially, things are tough. I see my friends buying houses, cars and things like that. But I realized that I do not need a lot to be happy. I’m grateful for every painting sold.