Where Life Meets Art

Fragments of Memory III Layers of Time and Fading Truth Fragments of Memory III explores how time softens truth and reshapes memory. Crafted from bleached, torn, and reconstructed denim, the work mirrors the quiet erosion of what we once knew — revealing instead the beauty of what remains, what fades, and what transforms. Denim, bleached and collaged fiber · 30 × 38 inches · © Jaclyn Bae Through layers of white pigment and altered denim, the piece reflects how memories shift — sometimes softened, sometimes distorted, yet always revealing a landscape shaped by time. The subtle white overlay symbolizes both the erosion of truth and the quiet grace of forgetting. These fragments form a visual diary — a quiet topography of layered stories, fading impressions, and the delicate balance between what we remember and what is gently lost. Expl...

© Jaclyn Bae · Fiber Art · Recycled Denim · 2025 Fragments of Memory II Fiber & Denim Art Series Fragments of Memory II continues Jaclyn Bae’s exploration of memory, time, and transformation through recycled denim. Each piece of fabric once carried someone’s warmth, movement, and unseen moments — remnants of everyday life. Through bleaching, disassembling, cutting, and re-stitching, the artist reconstructs fragments into new visual forms that reflect the layered nature of remembrance. The work meditates on how memories fade, overlap, and renew over time — much like threads that unravel and reconnect. What was once ordinary becomes a quiet landscape of reflection, where the past and present weave into a new fabric of meaning. About the Artist — Jaclyn Bae Jaclyn Bae is a Korean-born, Chicago-based fiber and mixed-media artist who repurposes denim, paper, and fabric to e...

Blessing Series I–III Faith and Grace Paper Installation Art by Jaclyn Bae Blessing Series I–III explores the quiet intersection of faith, grace, and light. Each work begins with hand-dyed coffee filter paper — an ordinary, fragile material that transforms through folding, layering, and stitching. These installations reflect how grace often arrives gently, settling into the folds of our lives. From the descending beam of Blessing I , the scattered fragments of Blessing II , to the sense of renewal in Blessing III , the series invites stillness and reflection. Each piece becomes a quiet prayer, where material becomes metaphor and creation becomes devotion. The series embodies the journey from fragility toward light — a meditation on how grace gathers, restores, and expands. Blessing I Blessing II Bles...

Artist Books Handmade narratives of life, women’s stories, and daily memories by Jaclyn Bae Artist Book I — Seasons of Human Life Collaged seasons and shifting silhouettes of a life. Seasons of Human Life explores how a single life moves through changing emotional and physical seasons. Pages are built from collaged magazine papers in shifting colors and textures, suggesting spring, summer, autumn, and winter. On the facing pages, silhouettes of human figures echo these transitions — growing, bending, pausing, and moving forward again. The book reads like a quiet visual diary: the outer seasons of nature and the inner seasons of the heart layered together, one spread at a time. Magazine paper collage mapping the four seasons of a life. Silhouette figures tracing emotional and physical transitions. ...

Hanbok Series — Transformation, Memory, and Harmony Contemporary Hanbok artworks exploring cultural identity, trauma, resilience, and harmony. Artist: Jaclyn Bae 1. Transformation From a Western linen shirt to a reimagined Korean Hanbok. Transformation reinterprets the cultural symbolism of the traditional Hanbok. This piece is handcrafted from a white linen shirt once worn by the artist’s husband — a Western garment reshaped into a Korean silhouette. Bible verses were inscribed onto the jeogori , echoing the artist’s personal transition from Buddhism to Christianity. The work becomes a metaphor for identity, heritage, and inner transformation — bridging two cultures, two beliefs, and two versions of self. Material: Handmade paper from linen shirt 2. Comfort Women A remembrance of the girls who lost their childhood. This Hanbok confronts the tragi...

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins — A Reflection on Emotional Freedom When we stop trying to control others, we quietly return to ourselves. Letting Go and the Let Them Theory Lately, I keep coming back to Mel Robbins’ idea of The Let Them Theory . When people do not understand us, when they disappoint us, when they walk away — our first instinct is often to fix, explain, or hold on a little tighter. But what if, instead, we simply said: “Let them.” Let them think what they think. Let them go where they go. Let them choose what they choose. The more we try to control what is not ours to control, the further our peace drifts away. We exhaust ourselves rewriting stories in our heads, rehearsing explanations, and chasing people or situations that were never meant to be held so tightly. Letting go is not giving up — it is opening. It is the moment we stop forcing and st...