Hyun Kyung Lee works from the context of interiors. Hyun Kyung Lee has chosen Rem Koolhaas’s Seattle Public Library as the framework for her work. She is fascinated by Koolhaas’s key concept of “stable and unstable": "I have chosen Rem Koolhaas's Seattle Public Library as the context for my interior textiles. The architects' idea "stable and unstable" influences my choice of colors and other design considerations in my exploration. I examine the building's structures and materials, interior space, and outside landscape, along with both natural and artificial lighting. While I strive to express the idea of stable and unstable in the structure of my fabrics, the building's translucent skin inspires me to create light and shadow effects on the surface of the fabrics. My goal is to arrive at a balance between woven structure and surface pattern and to create textiles that are exciting and practical." Hyun Kyung Lee studied at the Seoul Arts High School, 2001, Seoul, Korea; Ewha Womans University, College of Art & Design, 2005, BFA, Fiber Arts, Seoul, Korea; Rhode Island School of Design, 2008, MFA, Textiles

Hyun Kyung Lee and Michael Radyk, textile designers
part of the exhibition at New York Design Center on 5 June 2008

Rhode Island School of Design’s Textile Department
Showcase Graduate Students’ Work

“In this changing world, our graduates are expected to act as problem solvers who are responsive to the needs of both the local and global society; in addition to being technically and aesthetically savvy, they need to be innovative thinkers,”
Maria Tulokas, professor and Coordinator of Graduate Studies at RISD’s Textile Department.

The textile designers Hyun Kyung Lee and Michael Radyk are part of the exhibition at New York Design Center on 5 June 2008 where the Rhode Island School of Design’s Textile Department will showcase Graduate Students' Work.

Six upcoming MFA graduates of the Textile Department, who will receive their degrees on 31 May, along with six entering their second year in the fall, will present and discuss their individual selections of work at a public event at New York Design Center.

Sherri Donghia (background fashion and interiors) began to guide the students within her project entitled “New Materials” to create innovative and applicable design solutions which range from apparel to interior fabrics; some hand produced, some designed as prototypes for industrial production.

The works reflect the intentions of the textile program to challenge the students to understand the contexts of their work in relation to the professional environment, society in general, and the larger world of art and design. For their ideas, students often start with something personal and specific, and in the process of working, transform their concepts into something more universal that speaks to a broader audience.

“Through research, students gain an understanding of design as an expression of a continually evolving culture. Their work should reflect the values of both individuals and communities while serving human needs,” Anais Missakian, head of RISD’s Textile Department.

"Michael Radyk explores in his woven pieces the work of the Japanese architect Kego Kuma who works with light to bring out the materiality of his surfaces. Radyk’s pieces create transparencies and translucencies, along with opaque and veiled surfaces that form a transition from a viewer’s space to a space behind," Rhode Island School of Design, 2008, MFA, Textiles Michael Radyk, MFA, Textiles, RISD, 2008; BFA, Fiber Arts and Art History, Tyler School of Art. Radyk is artist and designer whose wall pieces, scarves and textiles have been exhibited throughout the United States and Canada. He has been producing a line of handwoven scarves and blankets for over 10 years. His most recent exhibition of his embroidered and handwoven wall pieces was held at the Society for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh. Radyk was the recipient of The Handweavers Guild of America, 2007, scholarship for excellence in handweaving.

fig.: Name: Hyun Kyung Lee, Title: slit, Year: 2008, Medium: jacquard. Hyun Kyung Lee has found her own approach to Rem Koolhaas's idea of "stable and unstable", which she expresses in jacquard woven furnishing fabrics and space dividers.

fig.: Name: Michael Radyk, Ttitle: untitled, Year: 2008, Medium: woven, Size: 33” x 66”. Michael Radyk works with light in his woven pieces, distorting the viewer’s perception and creating interaction between the viewer and the piece. Radyk uses veiling, reflective, and kinetic materials.


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Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has earned a worldwide reputation as the preeminent art and design college in US. Today, with more than 22,000 alumni, the college enrolls roughly 2,000 undergraduates and 400 graduate students from the United States and almost 50 countries, offering degree programs in the fine arts, architecture, and design disciplines, and art education. Academic programs include research and design initiatives, the exploration of art criticism and contemporary cultural concerns, as well as international exchange programs. Each year, RISD hosts prominent and accomplished artists, critics, and authors to its campus.

Included within the college is The RISD Museum of Art, which houses a world-class collection of art objects from Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome and art of all periods from Asia, Europe and the Americas, as well as the latest in contemporary art. www.risd.edu

The New York Design Center is the industry's source for current design, representing avant-garde, contemporary innovations, as well as classic creations. Built in 1926 the NYDC was the dream of few visionaries in the furniture industry. Today, the New York Design Center's rich history enhances its reputation as a vibrant, dynamic resource for imaginative solutions to any design challenge. The New York Design Center is committed to transforming both living and working environments.