Artist Projects

The Lawrence Weiner Estate Unveils New Collaboration with Ceramicist Heami Lee

Published Thursday, Aug 7, 2025

Pace Gallery and the Seoul-based craft gallery Sikijang are pleased to present a special collaboration between American artist Lawrence Weiner’s estate and contemporary ceramicist Heami Lee. For this project—which extends from Pace’s exhibition of Weiner’s work at its Seoul gallery in 2024—Lee has created moon jars inscribed with the words IN THE STREAM OF LIFE, a phrase Weiner drew from philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein’s notion that “words have meaning only in the stream of life.” Weiner famously used the phrase in his film Plowman’s Lunch (1982), in which one character states that “an idea only has meaning in the stream of life,” a proclamation that speaks to a central concern of his practice: the act of exchange and communion between an artwork, its viewers, and the environment in which it is shown. 

Lawrence Weiner, IN THE STREAM OF LIFE, 2002/2025, Silver on ceramic, 19 cm x Φ19 cm (7-1/2" × Φ7-1/2")

Handmade by Lee over the course of repeated firings, these new moon jars are finished in a silver glaze that oxidizes over time, rendering the words on their surfaces gradually more pronounced. In this way, the vessels give physical form to the transformative power of language. 

Ninety-nine editioned moon jars are available for sale through Pace Gallery as part of this collaboration—the first of its kind—with Sikijang.

About the Artists

Lawrence Weiner (b. 1942, New York; d. 2021, New York) is known for his philosophically minded works that propose new ways of making and experiencing art. A major figure in the development of the Conceptual art movement, Weiner was deeply interested in communication and reception. His art, which has been installed in public and institutional spaces around the world, is marked by its inherent accessibility and fluidity. In addition to his sculpture, Weiner produced music, films, and videos, as well as artist books and editions, throughout his career. In 2022, the artist was posthumously awarded the Oskar Kokoschka Prize for outstanding achievements in visual art.

Heami Lee (b. 1984) is a Seoul-based artist who creates objects and tableware that are not confined to specific uses, with clay as the foundation. Her works can serve practical purposes, such as holding fruits or plants, or they can stand alone as sculptural pieces that beautifully fill a space. She honors the understated beauty of her ancestors, believing that true elegance lies in simplicity and restraint. Inspired by old and familiar things, she creates works that capture the essence of time. For each piece, she personally handles the clay to preserve its natural texture, then layers silver on top. This process is about building time through action, capturing condensed beauty and graceful elegance.

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  • Artist Projects — The Lawrence Weiner Estate Unveils New Collaboration with Ceramicist Heami Lee, Aug 7, 2025