Opening Day of Taekyeom Lee: Designed, Printed & Fired

Taekyeom Lee: Designed, Printed & Fired will showcase the artist’s innovative practice, which exists at the intersection of 3D printing technology and traditional ceramic making. Taekyeom’s research and creative practice focus on making graphic design a more inclusive, multisensory, and interactive experience, challenging conventional views of design as a flat, vision-centered, screen- or paper-based medium. The artist blends ceramics and graphic design using a variety of materials, offering opportunities for both visual and physical exploration. Designed, Printed & Fired will illuminate Taekyeom’s process of creating printed and tactile imagery on textured surfaces across various media, while considering themes of culture, identity, and memory.

The exhibition contrasts cutting-edge technology with hands-on craftsmanship, questioning whether the collaboration between human creativity and technology truly negates the concept of “man-made.” Through hands-on experiences, Taekyeom invites visitors to engage with the tactile and spatial nature of his designs. In doing so, Printed & Fired challenges viewers to rethink the sensory and material aspects of design and the new forms that can emerge to create more accessible and engaging experiences for all.

Born and raised in South Korea, Taekyeom became interested in design through a combination of technical curiosity and creative experimentation. Taekyeom’s curiosity, combined with a personal health challenge that altered his perception of design and its functionality, has profoundly shaped his work. An internationally recognized interdisciplinary designer, researcher, and educator, Taekyeom is currently an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at Indiana University Bloomington. He earned an M.F.A. in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree from Keimyung University in South Korea. His research explores unconventional materials and alternative solutions to create tangible typography, graphics, and designed objects through digital fabrication. Taekyeom’s practice promotes a multisensory and accessible understanding of graphic design, aiming to make the field more inclusive, material, interactive, and playful.