When working on a project, what’s your creative process?
My creative process varies depending on the project, but generally, I am extremely intrigued by challenging people’s (and my own) preconceived thoughts. I love to start by thinking about themes that question what “normal” means and how it can look completely different depending on one’s perspective. To me, reality is not a single, rigid concept—it has layers, holds multiple meanings, and shifts depending on who perceives it. A lot of aspects of my life feel as though they exist “in-between,” or “neither”; yet paradoxically, they also encompass “all of the above”. I enjoy placing these ideas within everyday life settings to suggest new perspectives on the familiar.
Once I know my theme and the story I want to tell - often related to psychological complications, human conditions, trauma, memory, identity, and human experiences - I begin researching. Following that, I contemplate methodologies and how best to convey these ideas visually.
With my formal trainings in photography, I naturally lean toward lens-based mediums. However, over time, I have started working a bit backwards to find the right form by asking following questions such as : Does this medium align with the theme and message? How does it support what I am trying to say? What kind of experience do I want viewers to have?
At some point, I go back and forth between these stages—revisiting the theme, refining the research, and rethinking the methodology. This back-and-forth lets each layer of the project resonate more fully, creating space for both clarity and discovery. I find this fluid approach helps the work evolve organically.
Please share the story behind a piece of work. Any unusual (if there is such a thing) inspiration?
One of my projects, Tell Me What I’m Remembering (2021-ongoing), is inspired by seemingly foreign flashbacks I have had throughout my childhood and adulthood. These vague yet deeply embedded memories have led me to live in the in betweenness of these dream-like realities. Over time, the uncertainty surrounding these memories has escalated, becoming progressively overwhelming. It prompted me to question what is beyond what seems to be. This work explores these memories further triggered by a cousin's accidental disclosure of my past illness, leukaemia, hidden away by family and medical professionals (to this day). Based on this, the project is comprised of three parts: photographs, an interactive AI installation, and olfactory piece.
What is important to you when you’re in the process of doing work?
In my practice, it is essential to have both elements of “control” and “surrender”. There was a time when I sought more of meticulous control. However, as the Korean saying goes - my heritage is Korean - “a branch that’s too rigid breaks easily”, over time, I have learned to appreciate the beauty of fluidity as well as tension the two elements create.
In Entropy - Order and Disorder (2020), for example, I have placed a photograph of soaps and next to a towel rail where a wet towel drips water on to an enclosed area on the floor created with gaffer tape. During the duration of the installation, the floor and wall unexpectedly become part of the piece as they deteriorate due to water damage. The work becomes less orderly and predictable over time, gradually leading to greater disorder and confusion. Similarly, in Tell Me What I’m Remembering (2021-ongoing), I introduce an interactive AI installation piece that alters in real-time based on any sound on site.
The coexistence of control and surrender creates a dynamic interplay that I am keen to explore further.
What can be missing in that process?
What may be missing in the process is the full range of technical skills required for the different mediums I am drawn to explore. While I embrace diverse approaches in my practice, I am aware I do not have to be fully proficient in every technique to bring a vision to life - it would be also quite unrealistic to achieve this. Instead, I have come to see that openness to collaboration can be just as powerful as personal mastery.
In the past, I focused on doing everything independently. I wanted to be self-reliant because of various different personal reasons but also often because of limited access to resources, guidance, flexibility, and more. However, I have since discovered the value of partnering with experts who bring specialised skills that complement my own. For instance, while I was working with an AI programmer or a perfumer for Tell Me What I’m Remembering, I truly felt that collaboration does not replace my commitment to understanding each field at a meaningful level or diminish my capability in my own practice. Instead, it expands what is possible, allowing each of us to contribute our strengths toward a shared goal. This does not mean I am not absolved of the responsibility to acquire in-depth knowledge and a certain level of capability in the skill. But I have experience that beautiful things can come from trusting experts who are just as enthusiastic about my project and vision.
What would you like to add in your future projects?
There are a number of stories and themes I plan to incorporate into my future projects, particularly within my primary areas of interest: psychological complications, human conditions, trauma, memory, identity, and human experiences. These are the stories that I have long wanted to share have not yet had the chance to fully delve into. By engaging with these different stories, I aim to further investigate diverse methodologies, experimenting with new mediums and approaches to more profoundly capture their essence. I look forward to embarking on this journey and seeing where it leads.
What’s upcoming?
I am excited to share that I will be showing my work as part of Der Greif’s Guest Room “Domestic Miracle,” curated by Ruben Lundgren and Yining He.
I am also in the final stages of my scent collaboration with 4160 Tuesdays as part of Tell Me What I’m Remembering. There will be more news related to this soon so please stay tuned!
See more work: https://www.clairesleephoto.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claireslee93/