Olivia Lee knows what it’s like to work in the family business, even as she puts her own signature spin on it.
The daughter of two professional designers, Lee recalls playing with material scraps left on the floor while her parents were busy, trying to design their assignments to meet deadline. Her parents worked hard. Back when they were designers, it wasn’t as trendy as it is now. It was this early tactile experience that led Lee into a career in design — though she says neither of her parents pushed her to go into the field. In fact, they encouraged her to pursue something a little more traditional, if only for greater job security and normalcy.
However, Lee was torn. She loved art and design, but she also had a passion for science and engineering. Her father told her that there was a new program at a Singapore university that combined her passions, and that’s how Lee came to have her career in industrial design. She eventually went to further her education in England, and ended up working for a renowned designer in her preferred field.
When she was ready to return to Singapore, Singapore was ready to have her. It was right around the time that such artistic stalwarts as Gillman Barracks and Art Stage Singapore were in their infancy, but Lee recognized it for what it was — art about to explode into a wonderfully creative scene right in her home nation. So she took a position with a government agency before eventually opening a studio named after her. Today, the work she completes is wildly diverse. She designs everything from high fashion house window treatments to air filters. These kinds of design assignments truly do embrace both art and science, meaning that Lee gets to do what she loves.
One of Lee’s greatest accolades to date includes being honored during a furniture fair. She designed several pieces to be shown at the fair and garnered a good deal of attention because of it. Now, she’s investigating how to mass produce her collection, which she says is inspired by the idea of rediscovering humanity amid technological advances.
Overall, Lee says she hopes her own personal story inspires people who might be caught going back and forth between art and science. It is possible to not have to choose between the two disciplines, and that goes for women, as well. Lee says she hopes to see more female industrial designers take on challenges in her industry, and works toward that goal by mentoring promising women.
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To read more about Olivia Lee’s work and design philosophies, go to https://sg.asiatatler.com/generation-t/the-way-finder-olivia-lee.