Artist-In-Residence Program in Amsterdam (July 2009)

There were special moments in every place I’ve traveled. Amsterdam was probably my most enjoyable trip. I was there creating art in an Artist-in-Residence program (view some artworks here). What made this experience so special was a combination of being exposed to new forms of art through fellow artists, being in a new environment, and experimenting with new media. Every day in Amsterdam’s Wackers Academie studio was an adventure—an exercise in breaking boundaries.

My Journal in Amsterdam

As part of the program, we were asked to keep a journal documenting our daily experiences, ideas, and rough sketches. Actually, I found it to be a very creative exercise for me to find as many ways to express myself on small pages of white paper. Here are excerpts from my journal that best describe the experience:

The sounds I hear right now as I’m writing here in the studio are the shuffling of shoes, crumpling of paper, paper cutting, the camera flash going off and shutter releases, and the distant sound of a motorcycle racing by.

I’m fascinated by the things I am able to create and bewildered by what else I will be creating.

I think we often create things because they are extensions of ourselves. The more we create, the more we learn about our potential and gain deeper insight into our experiences. Creating is a sign of independent growth. My own art pieces teach me something about myself. It’s an ongoing dialogue I have with my art throughout my life. As my perspectives evolve through new experiences, so does my lifestyle.

Visiting Anne Frank’s House. Anne’s Diary

Our art program also provided us with access to museums and time to explore the city. I finally got the chance to visit Anne Frank’s house after reading her diary. It was a moving experience—a great reminder of a beautiful soul and free spirit. For someone like Anne to be confined and isolated from the World must have been devastating. I wished I’d had the chance to meet her. For a free spirit at such a young age, her diary became a source of freedom. Anne’s growth and maturity can be seen through her increasingly profound ideas, discipline, insight, and questions. She used her time to think, reflect on life, and explore her inner world—all of which gave her the clarity of mind she expressed so vividly in writing.

A Conversation with a Fellow Artist at the Art-In-Amsterdam (AIA) Program

A few snapshots from the studio and of the art in progress by fellow artists

A Poem I wrote in my Journal while on a train ride in Amsterdam

raindrops

they gracefully glide

walk

Strap themselves

on the windowpane

and carefully plan

their direction.

They just go —

slowly, then quickly

slowly, then quickly.

The raindrops walk

with time.

They walk in

harmony

together.

I watch them

and sink into

another world,

another space.

another place

of peace.

–Jenny S.W. Lee (2009)