A tan open accordion book that has green handmade leaves coming from the pages and on some of the pages

Aimee Lee: Tethered

Part of Handwork 2026

Aimee Lee (Ohio) is an artist who makes paper, writes, and advocates for Korean papermaking practices. Her initial Fulbright research helped her build the first hanji studio in North America and write her award-winning book, Hanji Unfurled. Her second Fulbright award as a senior scholar focused on further research of Korean papermaking tools, and continued her training since 2009 with various national and provincial Intangible Cultural Property Holders.

Lee trains the next generation of papermakers in the Korean tradition from the Korean diaspora and beyond in her private hanji studio east of Cleveland and in workshops around the world. This solo exhibition will highlight several works from our Cynthia Sears Artists’ Books Collection, in addition to lent artist’s books by this internationally engaged and recognized artist.

This exhibition highlights work from the Cynthia Sears Artists’ Books Collection alongside new work by the artist, offering insight into her interdisciplinary approach and global artistic engagement. This exhibition includes artists’ books, paper garments, and sculptures that highlight paper as both material and storyteller, offering conversation between plant fibers and personal tales, within the ancient legacies of handmade paper.

Header image: Aimee Lee, Unity, 2024, Acrylic on paper, pen on milkweed bast hanji, 8.75 x 5.1 x 1.75” closed, 11” wide open, Courtesy of the artist.

When

Mar 6 – Jun 14, 2026

Where

Sherry Grover Gallery

About the Artist

Aimee Lee is an artist, writer, and educator whose practice centers on Korean papermaking traditions, known as hanji. Designated as an Ohio Arts Council Heritage Fellow and Midwest Culture Bearer, Lee is a two-time Fulbright scholar to South Korea, where she conducted extensive fieldwork, studying with numerous national and provincial Intangible Cultural Property Holders to deepen her understanding of papermaking techniques and the toolmaking traditions that sustain them.

Lee’s initial Fulbright research culminated in her establishment of the first hanji studio in North America, laying the foundation for an internationally recognized studio practice. That research also led to her award-winning book Hanji Unfurled (The Legacy Press, 2012), which brought critical attention to Korean papermaking histories and methodologies. Her second Fulbright award, as a senior scholar, focused on advanced research into traditional Korean papermaking tools, further extending her long-term engagement with material knowledge and craft lineages.

Lee leads workshops from her private studio east of Cleveland and around the world, serving members of the Korean diaspora as well as artists and scholars from around the world. Her recent book, As Good as Our Tools (The Legacy Press, 2025), brings sustained attention to the vital contributions of fifteen underrecognized makers across four continents who have built the equipment and tools essential to the advancement of hand papermaking.

Learn more about Lee here.

A indigo and white book of hanji with a woven cover that says how we survive

A tan and orange corded teapot in the shape of a duck with a smaller duck as the lid

Korean paper making at morgan conservatory

Tan open pages of a book with green and brown drawings of plants surrounded by handwritten notes

An indigo colored hanbok with its arms open

An orange and yellow woven basket sits next to a round orange book with handwritten notes on it

Aimee Lee, How We Survive, Indigo and inkjet on hanji, 2.5 x 2 x 0.5” closed, 4” wide open, Courtesy of the artist.

Aimee Lee, Duck and Duckling Teapot, 2020, Natural dyes, corded on twined hanji, 5.25 x 8 x 2”, Courtesy of the artist.

Aimee Lee sets aside the best sheets of Korean paper during the curating process of paper making July 3, 2015. (Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer)

Aimee Lee, Steady, 2021, Pen, acrylic, and gouache on handmade paper. 8.5 x 5.75 x 0.75”, Courtesy of the artist.

Aimee Lee, Panes, 2024, Indigo and hanji on bark lace, thread, 11.6” x 20” x 2”, Courtesy of the artist.

Aimee Lee, photo courtesy of the artist

Aimee Lee, There You Are, 2023, Basket: coreopsis dye & gouache on corded and twined hanji, 5 x 5.5 x 5.5". Book: pencil, coreopsis dye on hanji, thread, 7” hanji cord, 2.5 x 2.5 x 0.5” closed, 2.5 x 60” open, Courtesy of the artist.

Aimee Lee, Unity, 2024, Acrylic on paper, pen on milkweed bast hanji, 8.75 x 5.1 x 1.75” closed, 11” wide open, Courtesy of the artist.