[Education] Ji-seon Lee, President of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)
- Date2025.04.09
- 2644
Today’s Ewha DNA guest is Jiseon Lee (Class of ’96, Textile Arts), who has been appointed as the first Asian president in the 158-year history of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), one of the most prestigious art institutions in the United States. As the second female president in SAIC’s history and a symbol of transformative change, President Lee is already receiving strong support from the SAIC community. Let’s hear her inspiring story.
Q. Hello! Could you start by introducing yourself briefly?
Hello, I graduated from Ewha Womans University with a bachelor’s degree in Textile Arts in 1996 and a master’s degree in 1998. I have worked as a textile artist in the United States while also teaching at universities, and I am currently serving as the president of SAIC.
Q. When appointing you as president, the SAIC Board of Governors noted your “proven leadership experience at multiple institutions” and praised your “exceptional ability to bring people together for meaningful change.” What efforts have you made to lead such change?
If I have achieved anything, I believe it is not due to my individual capability but rather the collective efforts of the entire community. During my term as provost at tis College of Art and Design, we faced a period of significant social and cultural change. The pandemic caused extreme challenges, and simultaneously, powerful social movements against racial discrimination required universities to engage in deep reflection and action.
In such times, I prioritized providing accurate and transparent information to everyone and creating platforms where all members could express their voices freely. Building consensus on the changes we want to achieve and understanding how these changes would shape the future of the institution is always the most challenging process. In today’s rapidly evolving society, universities must continuously adapt and transform their agendas with a future-oriented vision.
Now, as I enter my second semester as president at SAIC, I am actively engaging with students, faculty, staff, and alumni, gathering insights and perspectives to develop strategic directions for the school’s growth.
Label Me Label You | Top Ten Books To Read Before You Die (출처 : www.jiseonleeisbara.com)
Q. You are also an acclaimed visual artist. What is the central theme or message you have aimed to convey through your work?
Over the past two to three decades, my artistic practice has evolved continuously. As time and experiences accumulated, the questions and emotions I have grappled with naturally found their way into my work. Broadly speaking, the overarching theme of my art is a reflection on identity—expressing my experiences as a woman, a working mother, a daughter, and a first-generation immigrant of color who does not speak English as her native language.
Interestingly, I learned that Ewha’s Textile Arts Department has its roots in the Department of Embroidery. While the Department of Embroidery once focused on teaching virtues deemed appropriate for women, it transformed into Textile Arts as modern art was introduced after the Korean War, incorporating embroidery as a medium and technique. Though the period when I used embroidery in my own work was different, I feel that my practice, in a way, also reflects these complex and sometimes contradictory narratives—the historical expectations for women, the contemporary societal roles women are asked to fulfill, and my personal experiences as a woman of color living as a first-generation immigrant in the United States.
Q. Lastly, do you have any advice or words of encouragement you would like to share with Ewha students who dream of pursuing art?
I believe artists hold the privilege of influencing how we live. Art and design are deeply embedded in our daily lives, shaping not only our environments but also the ways we communicate with one another. Designers and artists create the objects and spaces we interact with, making our lives more convenient, fulfilling, and inspiring. I am excited to see what kind of work my future colleagues will create and how they will leave their unique and powerful mark on the world.