The Blog
by Malti B Lee
news, thoughts & resources on art making, creative inspirations, and the business of art
LATEST
- Days 10-19: Settling In
This is the second installment of 100 Days of Post-Partum: A Daily Maedup (매듭). Each day, I tie a traditional Korean knot and write a short reflection beginning with “Today I want to remember…” If you’re new here, start with the introduction. You can also read Days 0–9: Arrival. The second ten… Read more: Days 10-19: Settling In - Days 0-9: ArrivalFrom the delivery room to the first snow. Korean maedup knots and reflections from the first ten days post-partum.
- A Daily Maedup (매듭): 100 Days of Post-PartumWhen my baby boy, Jimin was born, I knew I needed a creative ritual. Not something elaborate. Not something performative. Something steady. Something that was mine. So I set out to make a project. For 100 days post-partum, I have tied a series of 매듭 (maedup) knots each day. The… Read more: A Daily Maedup (매듭): 100 Days of Post-Partum
- How Pregnancy is Shaping My Creative Art PracticeIntroducing my new collection, The Carried Thread — an exploration of lineage, belonging, and slow making. A Shift in Rhythm Over the summer, my creative rhythm began to change. For years, my studio walls have been filled with architectural and floral paintings—vivid cityscapes, structured lines, and blooms that captured the… Read more: How Pregnancy is Shaping My Creative Art Practice
- Finding Creative Inspiration in Unexpected Places: Turmeric to TextilesSometimes, stepping outside your comfort zone can open up unexpected doors of inspiration. Recently, I had the joy of joining an eco-bundling and natural dye workshop at the Asian American Resource Center (AARC) in Austin—a hands-on, community-driven event led by artist Irene June Chau. This wasn’t something I’d normally sign… Read more: Finding Creative Inspiration in Unexpected Places: Turmeric to Textiles
- Featured on the Cover of Mueller Magazine!I’m incredibly excited to share that I was recently featured on the cover of Mueller Magazine, our vibrant neighborhood publication here in Austin! In this cover story, I had the pleasure of speaking with the wonderful writer Carmen Gray about my journey—from growing up in the UK and working as… Read more: Featured on the Cover of Mueller Magazine!
- Austin-inspired Art: Highlights from the Opening of The Artist ResidencyThe Magic of Sharing New Art There’s something magical, yet also deeply vulnerable, about unveiling new paintings to the public. It’s about exposing a part of your soul and eagerly anticipating the audience’s reactions. The opening reception for the Downtown Austin Space Activation (DASA) Residency was both heartwarming and uplifting.… Read more: Austin-inspired Art: Highlights from the Opening of The Artist Residency
- Art in Progress: Growth & Learning in My First Artist ResidencyToday, I’m excited to take you behind the scenes of my current project at the Downtown Austin Space Activation (DASA) Residency. It’s been a month or so filled with intense creativity, learning, and some unexpected shifts in my plans. Adjusting Expectations and Embracing Challenges At the onset of this residency,… Read more: Art in Progress: Growth & Learning in My First Artist Residency
- Color My World: Choosing a Palette for My ResidencyAs I progress through my artist residency with the Downtown Austin Space Activation (DASA), one of the most critical steps has been selecting the right colour palette. This process has been deeply inspired by both the natural landscapes and the urban energy of Austin, reflecting my personal experiences since making… Read more: Color My World: Choosing a Palette for My Residency
- Finding Inspiration: the Wildflowers of AustinAs part of my short artist residency with the Downtown Austin Space Activation (DASA), I’m creating paintings inspired by Austin, my current home. While I started with the exploring architecture, I’m excited to celebrate one of Texas’s most stunning natural features through these paintings—the springtime wildflowers. Their vibrant displays left… Read more: Finding Inspiration: the Wildflowers of Austin
- Finding Inspiration: the Architecture of Downtown AustinSince moving into my downtown studio at the start of this residency, my first mission was to truly connect with the heart of Austin. Wrapped up against the cold, headphones in, camera in hand, I began exploring the streets of downtown without a set path, driven by pure curiosity. Though… Read more: Finding Inspiration: the Architecture of Downtown Austin
- A New Creative Project: the DASA Artist ResidencyWelcome to My Artist Residency in Downtown Austin! I’m thrilled to kick off this blog series with some exciting news—I’ve recently begun my very first artist residency right here in the vibrant heart of downtown Austin, Texas! As this journey unfolds, I want to bring you along for the ride,… Read more: A New Creative Project: the DASA Artist Residency
- An Artist’s Year in Books – My 2024 Reading List
As we welcome the new year, I take a moment to reflect on the array of books that enriched my 2024. This year’s literary journey was filled with insightful explorations into productivity, inspiring tales of creativity, and captivating stories that spanned a variety of cultures and emotions. Each book offered… Read more: An Artist’s Year in Books – My 2024 Reading List - 2 Years in the Art Business: An Emerging Artist’s JourneyThis July marked two years since I embarked on my journey as a full-time artist. For those who have been with me, you’ll know it’s been an incredible adventure. I’ve discovered my creative voice, held my first solo exhibition, worked on public and corporate commissions, and even moved across state… Read more: 2 Years in the Art Business: An Emerging Artist’s Journey
- Trying something new with flowers: Arranging instead of PaintingThere’s something magical about stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new. It activates a different part of your brain and brings a childlike joy and wonder into your life. That’s exactly how I felt during a recent 2.5-hour floral arranging workshop with McQueen’s Floral School in Seoul,… Read more: Trying something new with flowers: Arranging instead of Painting
- Inspirations behind my new collection of paintingsYou’ll know I love to travel and my paintings are a visual journey, documenting my experiences working, living, and traveling across the world. In this newest collection, Remnants of Forgotten Histories, I lean into intricately decorated interiors as I travel across Europe & Asia, immersing myself rich and diverse histories.… Read more: Inspirations behind my new collection of paintings
- The 100 Day Project: Why I’m Joining & What I’m Doing#the100dayproject Hey creative friends! 🎨 This week marks the kickoff of something pretty exciting – my first-ever 100 Day Project. In this blog post, I’m sharing my thinking on why I’m diving into this challenge, the plan, and my expectations for the next 100 days. Motivation I didn’t start this… Read more: The 100 Day Project: Why I’m Joining & What I’m Doing
- In Conversation With Happy & Human PodcastAs a full-time British Indian artist who holds a PhD in Biophysics and worked at Boston Consulting Group as a management consultant for a number years – it’s safe to say that I’ve pivoted careers a *few* times. As such, I love sharing my experiences, journey and what I’ve learned… Read more: In Conversation With Happy & Human Podcast
- Selected & Published: An International Art Magazine for Emerging ArtistsI’m super excited to have been selected & publicised in the Suboart Magazine December 2023 Edition (Nr.15). You can find my work among a selection of brilliant artists and creators in this magazine focusing on celebrating and amplifying emerging artists. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, there’s… Read more: Selected & Published: An International Art Magazine for Emerging Artists
- A year in numbers: An Emerging Artist’s careerAs a new calendar year starts, I take time to reflect back on the previous year, the art I created, the lessons learned, the highlights & lowlights too. Just 18 months ago, after moving from England to California, I started showing and selling my artwork to the public. As an… Read more: A year in numbers: An Emerging Artist’s career
More from the blog
- About the art (15)
- Exhibitions & events (3)
- From the studio (30)
- Press & Media (10)
- The business of art (8)
