Eny Lee Parker is a Brooklyn-based ceramicist whose works are beyond the potential limits of ceramics. Brazilian-born, Korean ceramicist not only creates unique designs but her works are also able to give a smile on people’s faces. Her interest in art reaches out to her childhood as she started to create her artworks when she was only a little girl, and what makes her works special is the positive vibes that her works give. Her works appeal to many people from children to adults even if they are not the usual type of ceramics that all people get used to, they are playful and joyful. She started her creative journey with clay and created outstanding works but she is one of the artists that’s been taking quarantines as a possibility to expand her works and nourish her creativity instead of complaining about lack of inspiration during the hard times, so it is possible to see her coming with new materials that are as good as what we have seen before, even better.
You work in ceramics and do captivating works but your master was in furniture, how did your journey with ceramics start?
I participated in an artist residency and had pitched ceramics as my main medium in furniture and lighting.I was very interested in the medium, and just did heavy researching and got some ceramic mentors to guide me through it.
Your work distinguish themselves as they are all unique and irreproducible, how do you nourish your creativity?
I think visual creativity is overwhelming as we’re constantly seeing new works through social media and press platforms. I try to focus more on my relationships with vendors, and opportunities I can create to work with local fabricators or friends. I find that participation in the economy more fulfilling than coming up with the perfect object of lighting - of course that is fun too, but i get my nourishment from working with my community.
You practice various fields of art, how do they influence each other?
It helps me not feel static. I get bored easily, and find that exploring materials, content, mediums and crafts helps me understand a bigger picture. I love sketching new ideas and setting up a dinner table. I enjoy talking about proportions with other furniture designers as much as I enjoy seeing friends making music or directing a documentary. I think the way their brains work is fascinating. In schools, there’s a clear separation between fields of art and design, but I find the opposite once you start working in the creative industry. You meet journalists, producers, photographers, print designers, stylists, sound tech, engineers, and so on. I think we all affect each other’s works.
You have made a name with your ceramic works and lately you have been making glass works as well, what kind of differences do they have in practice?
They are very very different and not compatible at all. But as of now, I don’t know enough about glass, I’m trying to understand it more and explore. The only similarity i find between the two, is that they both have silica in them (sand).
You grew your business digitally by yourself and it looks like it helped you a lot to increase your recognition, what would be the steps of making a business online in a right way?
I think I joined Instagram as it was starting, before Facebook bought it. If i had to make a new online business, I don’t know if I could to be honest. Usually, I tell people to not be scared to post, share creative process and so on. It’s also a conversation, whenI post something, it’s nice to see an immediate reaction from people. It doesn’t mean it’ll translate into dollars, but it’s an incredible tool to use. On the other hand, I try not to take the internet too seriously, it’s an incredible resource, but shouldn’t be your source of identity. Use it for your benefit and don’t let it define everything you do.
