Grace Lillian Lee

Lee calls this work a ‘body sculpture’. She made it using weaving techniques used in ceremonial costumes as a way to celebrate her culture. Look at the shapes and lines of this work and imagine how it might be worn. To what occasion? How it would feel to wear it? How would you move? Act out these movements. 

Look at the other works in the series Belonging 2021–22. What different colours do you see? Discuss what each colour might mean.  

Think about the title ‘Belonging’. What does that word mean to you? Share your thoughts with a friend or your class.   

Lee tells us about her identity and culture through fashion and art. Talk about the ways we express ourselves through our clothes. Use found materials to create something you can wear that says something about you. Think about its colour, texture, shape and structure. 

Organise a fashion show and present your creations to your family, friends or class. Think about what you will wear and how to walk, move and act. What does your fashion show express about you? 

Look up the flag of Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islands and learn what the symbols represent. What can you see in Lee’s work that relates to the Dhari (ceremonial headdress) symbol on the flag? Make a drawing of the elements of the artwork you have identified.

Find Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islands on a map. Research the languages of this region. 

‘These body sculptures give you the sense of the notion of a body – the body is no longer there – the bloodlines carry on,’ writes Grace Lillian Lee. Consider this quote and observe the shapes, textures and materials of Belonging 3. How does this artwork convey the sense of a body? Discuss the aspects of this work that communicate ideas of culture and history. What might Lee mean by ‘the bloodlines carry on’?   

Grace Lillian Lee describes her life’s work as a celebration of her lineage. Look at all five artworks in the series Belonging. When installed together, they are hung in a line with Belonging 3, the red sculpture, in the middle. Picture how this would look. How would this use of colour and spatial relationship help to communicate ideas of lineage, belonging and interconnectedness? How would this narrative change if the works were hung in a different way?  

For Lee, the act of weaving and creating art is a ‘contemporary expression of self’. Select materials that hold meaning for you and use them create a sculpture that represents your identity. Consider the colour, shape and structure of your work and document the symbolic qualities of the elements you have chosen. Write a description to accompany your final work that explains the decisions you have made to visually communicate your ideas and express your identity.  

Lee attributes her knowledge of weaving techniques to the teachings of Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islander artist Uncle Ken Thaiday (Meriam Mer), known for his ‘dance machines’ or mobile headdresses. Look at Thaiday’s Beizam (shark) dance mask 1996 in the Art Gallery’s collection and take note of the materials he used. How does this mask suggest movement? Identify elements of Thaiday’s work that have informed Lee’s work.  

Belonging 3 has been created using ‘grasshopper’ weaving techniques distinct to the Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islands. Research the history of weaving practices in Zenadth Kes and identify the stylistic features and methods of this technique. Reflect on how Lee’s weaving contributes to the continuation, sharing and strengthening of her culture and share your ideas.