New York City-based Korean artist Miyeon Lee's oil paintings feel like minimalist explorations of color — vibrant and enticing yet free of pretense and excess ornamentation. Similarly, the pieces in her jewelry line, Little M, manage to make powerful statements using the simplest of materials like: silk and grosgrain ribbons, knit braid trim, rayon twist cord, metallic scroll trim, shoelace-like strips, and more. By intertwining these materials and juxtaposing various colors and textures, Lee created the illusion of movement, of strands writhing and undulating against the skin.
Though many of her pieces, such as the untitled piece pictured at top, feature Carnival-ready hues, there's also a disarming innocence to them (check out the Rainbow Trail bracelet pictured second from top). In a way, they recall a simpler time when we were wide-eyed little girls who swapped handmade friendship bracelets and wove ribbons into our hair. Featuring an assortment of ribbon and fabric trims and 14k gold filled chains and plated parts, the Little M pieces are currently available at Artware Editions.
The necklace pictured at top feels like a jewelry piñata — just as festive and full of surprises. It effortlessly fuses together zig-zagging, Rasta-colored trim with nautical-favored, blue-and-white cord, as well as vibrant fuchsia and electric blue cord, shoelace-like white ribbon, bits of gold fringe tassel, and more.
Common threads have never looked quite as uncommon.
Little M Untitled 2010 Necklace, $230, and Little M Rainbow Bracelets, $125 each. Available at Artware Editions in NYC. Call 212.463.7490 for more details.
