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Tools of Resilience
In her first solo exhibition at Jack Hanley Gallery, Maia Ruth Lee disrupts the stereotypical assumption that each woman will eventually have to decide between a career or a child through an unexpected system of geopolitical talismans.
The quasi-readymade design of Lee’s strewn bundles—kaleidoscopic medleys of plastic tarp, burlap, boxes, and neon rope known as Baggage Bondage (2018) — are derived from Lee’s observations of chromatic luggage belonging to Nepalese migrant workers in the Kathmandu Airport, who carefully wrap their costly goods (such as new electronics or clothes) to protect them from theft. It takes a fair bit of restraint to not unravel these packages and see what’s inside. As visitors step a little too close to each pile, the temptation of their familiar, portable ease is palpable.
A second series of wrought iron shapes, titled Auspicious Glyphs (2018), is reminiscent of alchemical symbols found in centuries-old scientific texts and spiritual treatises. An accompanying leaflet described these forms as “tools for self-defense,” meant to enhance the one’s sense of wisdom, balance, communication, and humor in times of personal turmoil. So it’s no surprise that each motif is arranged in neat rows like utensils in a craftsman’s workshop. These plastic bundles, created to transport the products of physical labor across precarious landscapes, coupled with Lee’s glyphs…
