Hyesook Lee
Korean ceramic artist based in Singapore
Creating works inspired by the theme of Mitochondria — the origin and energy of life. Originally from Korea, she has lived and worked in Singapore for the past eight years.
The Mitochondria series
Inspired by the actual structure of mitochondria,
the organelles in our cells that generate energy.
Through these forms,
I wanted to hold the energy of living.
Mitochondria: Ethiopia, remembered in color
Year: 2025
Dimension: 29 x 30 x 22.5 cm
Material: Stoneware clay, underglaze, glaze, ceramic ink, oxidation fired at 1210°C
When speaking of human origins, one of the most frequently mentioned concepts is “Mitochondrial Eve.” By tracing the maternal line through mitochondrial DNA, we learn that the earliest woman of humankind originated in Ethiopia. Thus, we may say that the homeland of mitochondria is Ethiopia itself.
Ethiopia also holds deep personal meaning for me. It is where my mother was expecting me — the place where my life began. Perhaps some elements of that land still remain within me. During my parents’ two-year stay in Ethiopia, they collected scarf and filigree (fine metalwork) necklace, which have since been passed down to me. Through these colors and objects, I remember Ethiopia. That memory is both my mother and the point of my own beginning.
This work grows from those memories, expressing through the colors of Ethiopia the life energy I inherited from my mother.
Mitochondria: Inside and Outside
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 28×32×17cm
Material: Terracotta, bronze glaze, ceramic stain and slip, ceramic pencil, oxidation fired at 1100°C
Mitochondria contain contrasting substances inside and outside their inner membrane. The inner space is filled with energy, while the outer space is abundant with hydrogen ions. This contrast is expressed in the work through both visual and tactile means.
The interior is coated with a metallic glaze that reflects light, creating a vivid sense of energy in motion. In contrast, the exterior reveals the natural brown texture of the clay, conveying warmth and stability. The presence of hydrogen ions in the outer space is represented by the engraved symbol H⁺.
Hydrogen ions are the starting point of energy generation — their concentration gradient drives energy production like a turbine in a hydroelectric power plant. In tribute to the scientist who discovered this principle, his name is also inscribed on the piece. It’s astonishing that mitochondria and the Sun harness hydrogen ions, the simplest and most abundant element in the universe, as the key to energy conversion.
Mitochondria: Flowing from Top to Bottom
This work visualizes the matrilineal inheritance of mitochondria, a metaphor for the love passed from mother to daughter, and from that daughter to the next. That love—quiet yet vital—becomes the force that sustains life. I imagined it as a flow from top to bottom, and gave it form to express both its direction and warmth.
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 22 × 29 × 17 cm
Material: Stoneware clay, underglaze, glaze, ceramic stain, oxidation fired at 1200°C
Mitochondria: Inner Charge
Year: 2025
Dimensions: 29.5 × 25 x 18.5 cm
Material: Stoneware clay with pigmented slip (sprayed), underglaze, glaze, oxidation fired at 1200°C
Though not visible from the outside, this work expresses the process of energy being accumulated and activated within. The row of small dots inside the reflective glazed interior symbolizes a precisely designed chain reaction—the electron transport chain. The H⁺ symbols painted on the surface represent hydrogen ions, the starting point of all life energy.
Mitochondria
Year: 2024
Dimensions: 25 × 30 × 19 cm
Material: Pigmented stoneware clay, underglaze, glaze, oxidation fired at 1200°C
Inspired by the warm pink and red hues of ancient cliff formations, this piece reflects the festival’s theme of primitivism—a return to origins and primitive experience (Matres Festival of Women’s Ceramics, Italy,2024). The interior and exterior contrast highlights inner mitochondrial structures against raw, elemental textures. The soft pink surface evokes the timeless, primordial landscape that influenced this work.
Vessel Containing Energy
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 32 × 20 × 24 cm
Material: Stoneware clay, handbuilt, white glaze, oxidation fired at 1200°C
This piece marks the beginning of the Mitochondria series. Created during a time of isolation at home in the pandemic, it reflects a form I was instinctively searching for—something essential and sustaining. That form became a vessel of energy: the mitochondrion.
I began working with clay while I was still practicing as a psychiatrist in Korea. Clay gave me a sense of grounding and presence through the physical act of touch.
The Mitochondria series began in 2020 during the pandemic, and it symbolizes the life energy I received from my mother.
It was inspired by the actual structure of mitochondria, the organelles in our cells that generate energy. Through these forms, I wanted to hold the energy of living. I feel that science and art ultimately seek the same truth, and I try to express that connection through clay.
Hyesook LEE
e-mail : hskleee@gmail.com
Instagram : @the_ellipse
Studio : 77 Indus road #01-515, 160077, Singapore
Exhibitions & Selections
2025.11. Exhibiting artist, International Women Ceramic Artist - Jeju festival, Korea
2024.11. Participating artist, Singapore Clay Festival, Singapore
2024.09. Exhibiting artist, Argilla Art Fair, Faenza, Italy
2024.08. Exhibiting artist, Matres Festival of Women's Ceramics, Cava de’ Tirreni, Italy
2023.10. The Home & Co, Ceramics Gallery Reopening Exhibition (Invited), Singapore
2021. Ellipse Moon Jar selected for Good Design (GD) Award, Korea
2021. Energy, From Mother recognized at Gyeonggi Art Contest & Exhibition
2021. Ellipse Moon Jar selected as Featured Artist at Home&Co, Singapore