Artist and educator Jiyong Lee has always been intrigued by the mysteries of biological processes. His fascination began early, flipping through medical illustration books and marveling at how life starts from a single cell. This curiosity drives his Segmentation series, where he transforms his scientific wonder into stunning glass art that reflects the beauty of cell division and life science.
Based in Carbondale, Illinois, Lee is a professor and the head of the glass program at Southern Illinois University. His Segmentation series features glass sculptures created using coldworking techniques. Unlike traditional methods such as blowing or casting, Lee cuts and reassembles thick pieces of glass, using colored adhesive in a laminating process.
The final sculptures are finished with grinding and polishing, resulting in partially translucent surfaces that both conceal and reveal intricate internal structures. Lee’s work evokes embryonic forms, inspired by his awe at how a single cell divides and transforms. “The way a cell multiplies and each part knows its future role is amazing,” Lee explains. “My sculptures, with their biomorphic and geometric forms, aim to capture this complex internal process.”
For more insights into Jiyong Lee’s work, follow him on Instagram and visit his website.
