JI YOUNG LEE

ABOUT JI YOUNG LEE (JI)

 

SCENIC DESIGNER / ART DIRECTOR

 

I often describe my life as “one road.” I've been dreaming of designing sets since I was 10 years old and never stopped. 

 

Since I was ten, I’ve dreamed of designing sets and have never stopped. I earned a BFA in Interior Architecture from RISD and an MFA in Scenic Design from UCLA. I also interned at the George Tsypin Opera Factory in Long Island City, NY, and at Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, CA, and I’m a member of the Art Directors Guild.

 

When I was ten, my mother took me to see the musical "Alibaba and the Forty Thieves" in Korea. I was amazed by the magical set—with a flying carpet, a moving cave, and exotic costumes and music—and by the audience’s excited reactions. It felt like stepping into another world. That day, I decided I wanted to become a scenic designer. I was inspired by how set design lets people escape everyday life and enter a fantasy world. I’m passionate about interactive theater and film production design, and I hope to work with diverse ideas and collaborators to create spaces where both audiences and artists can explore. I will keep working hard to make my dream a reality.