Spontaneity and symbolism alive in artist's work by Allison Alfonso
Johnson City Press, Johnson City, Tennessee March 14, 2004

The title intrigued me, and I went to the Johnson City Area Arts Council to see "Justice Runs Down Like Water -- Asian Perspective of Martin Luther King Jr."

My mind raced. How would an Asian artist interpret the civil rights leader's life? Kichung Lee Lizee's show, on display through April 13, is symbolic.

The artist is a Korean who came to the United States in the 1960's to study art. Her statement says she is synthesizing Eastern and Western approaches in art by combining the techniques and materials of Eastern calligraphy and Western themes. Eastern calligraphy, she said, appeals because it conveys the life force and is created through intuition. The inks, bruishes and rice papers used in calligraphy are challenging and unforgiving. Each brush stroke is done quickly and in one breath. Rarely is a mark gone over twice, and thus the artist says, they reveal the spontaneity of the artistic act and the artist's spirit.

What did I see when I entered the gallery? I saw movement. One series captures the snake like movement of dragons, and another features bamboo blowing in the wind. Another features eyes that also look like winding roads.

Lizee used some of King's words as titles to the series and said she tried to portray the energy of his speeches in her marks while conveying his strengths, wisdom and dreams symbolically.

How distinctively the works are mounted and hung isn't mentioned, but this also provides an East-West link. The paintings are mounted on patterned, scroll-like objects that look like decorative window shades and wallpaper. The strings from which they hang arch to a dome shape. I felt like I was looking at temples.

The series "Justice Runs Down Like Water," done in Chinese ink and watercolor on rice paper, features dragons as a symbol of King's impact on and struggles in society. "Fighting Dragon" combines an abstracted dragon that covers the surface and a blue, watery background. There is an energy to the piece that suggests upheaval and disruption.

The calm in "Peaceful Dragon" is a contrast. The gently swirling lines convey a force in retreat. This is a series of beauty and complexity.

The beautiful series "We Shall Overcome," Chinese ink on rice paper, uses bamboo to represt perseverance, patience and strength: characteristics of those in the Civil Rights movement. The plant, the artist said, survives harsh conditions and doesn't break.

"Integrity" features text and a single bamboo pole that symbolizes conviction and blowing leaves representing societal pressure. "Flexibility" combines text with two thin, wind blown bamboo stocks, which symbolize choice, chance and sensitivity.

In the "I Have a Dream" series, each painting contains a background centered by an eye, all in black, and inserts with faces. The eyes suggest hope, progress, time, travel and ideas.

The girl in "Dream Face," done in Chinese ink and oil on rice paper, is racially indistinct. This perhaps represents the desire for equal treatment and not to be categorized. The character seems gripped in happy thought.

"Noble Korean Lady," of Chinese ink and watercolor on rice paper, features a large eye looking upon an inset landscape scene with a small figure walking feafully toward a large, looming, unidentifiable figure. It suggests coming to terms with the past and facing demons.

Other series exist in this rewarding show. I was initially attracted to the imagery and then began searching for the meanings of the subjects and symbols. The artist supplies plenty of supporting material to help the viewer understand the exhibition. But this time, like all times I look at a show, I left not knowing if I understood everything.

You can't dictate what viewers think and feel when they look at art, and that is part of the richness of it....