Seo Hye Lee is a deaf South Korean artist based in the UK. Drawing from her lived experience of hearing loss and as a cochlear implant user, she works across drawing, moving image, and multi-sensory installation to explore the intricate terrains of sound and silence.
Her recent moving image work Portland Forecast examines the language of captions through audio description, creative captioning, and sound cues—interweaving these elements with the atmospheric tradition of the shipping forecast. [sound of subtitles], a silent film that reconfigures archival footage through manipulated subtitles, exists both in silence and as an audio described version—inviting multiple sensory readings of sound, language, and emotional resonance. The work has been exhibited in MIMA’s Towards New Worlds, the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Design & Disability exhibition, and Feeling. Art. We. All. Together. at Kunsthalle Bremen.
Across her practice, Seo Hye champions accessibility and collaboration, drawing inspiration from both collective and personal encounters with sound. Her research and projects have been supported by the Vital Capacities Residency and Arts Council England’s DYCP programme.
Contact
Email: hi.seohye@gmail.com
Follow on Instagram: @seohyel
Exhibitions
2025
Design and Disability: June 2025 - Feb 2026 V&A Museum London UK
Feeling Art: We. All. Together: May - Sep 2025 Kunsthalle Bremen Germany
In A Manner of Speaking: Jan - March 2025 Blackwood Gallery UTM Mississauga Canada
2024
Towards New Worlds: July - Feb 2025 MIMA Middlesbrough UK
Object Sensations: Feb - April 2024 Tangled Art + Disability, Toronto Canada
2023
How Loud Is Too Loud? in AI: Who’s Looking After Me?: Jun 2023 - Jan 2024 Science Gallery London UK
[sound of subtitles]: March - May 2023 Chapter Art in the Bar Cardiff UK
Presents 2023: Online & In person screening in Canada and Germany
2022
Selected 12 UK Tour: Sept - Nov 2022 CCA Glasgow, Fabrica Gallery, Royal College of Art, Nottingham Contemporary, G39, John Hansard Gallery UK
Descriptive Realities: June 2022 Divfuse Gallery London UK
Days of Wonder: Feb 2022 Hove Museum & Art Gallery Brighton & Hove UK
2021
Intertwined Vital Capacities: July 2021 UK
2020
ASP Online Book Fair: September 2020 Online
For Your Health and Pleasure Sound Commission: July 2020 Grundy Art Gallery Blackpool UK
A Place to Visit Jip + Olympia: May 2020 Online
2019
Tate Exchange: Flux/US: Be Part of the Art with Shape Arts: March 2019 London UK
Transient Skin with Studio Heomugeoto: January 2019 ZÖNOTÉKA Berlin Germany
2017
Descriptive Realities: September 2017 John Lewis Birmingham UK
RCA Final Show: June - July 2017 Royal College of Art UK
2016
RE:ALL: April 2016 Call & Response Gallery London UK
Day for Night: April 2016 Hockney Gallery Royal College of Art UK
Other: March 2016 Darwin Building Royal College of Art UK
Talks & Screenings
2025
The Conch: March 2025 South London Gallery
Good Vibrations Shorts Programme The Sound of Neurodivergence: July 2025 Barbican
2024
October First Friday: Oct 2024 Grand Union Birmingham UK
Portland Forecast Launch: May 2024 Nottingham Contemporary Nottingham UK
Artist Talk Richmond University-The American University in London: March 2024 London UK
Care in Disability Arts: In Transit x The Care Lab March 2024
2023
Rehearsing Accessible Futures: Oct 2023 Studio Hyte x Healing Justice London ICF London
Artist Talk Creativity is Mistakes: Disability Arts Cymru July 2023
Artist Talk for NIAD: April 2023
Artist Talk for ITP Class Sound Art: Listening with Johann Diedrick: April 2023
2022
Contribution to Learning Resources: Oct 2022 LUX Scotland ‘Making closed captions for new work’
Artist Talk Richmond University-The American University in London: Feb 2022 London UK
Days of Wonder: April 2022 Screening programme at Fabrica Gallery Brighton UK
2021
Mentorship in Master’s program MA SODA Solo/Dance/Authorship: Oct 2020 - Mar 2021 Berlin Germany
Protest and Practice: Oct 2021 organised by Nottingham Contemporary and Voices in the Gallery Online
Artist Talk Richmond University-The American University in London: Jan 2021 London UK
2019
PoL #50 Deaf Gain: exploring sound, technology and hearing diversity: Nov 2019 LCC London UK
The Sphere of Sound Artist Talk: Oct 2019 SAIC Chicago USA
Ambivalent Moves: Body-Centered Technologies and Their Artistic Articulations: May 2019 Tanzhaus nrw Dusseldorf Germany
Interviews & Conversations
Conversation with Martina Raponi for Barbican Catalogue Feel The Sound 2025
Interview with Amanda Cachia for Object Sensations: Feb 2024 Toronto Canada
Interview with Akimbo: Feb 2024 Toronto Canada
Interview with Textur Mag: July 2021 Berlin Germany
Interview with Lutte Collective: July 2021 New York United States
Workshops & Residencies
Sound Scavenger Hunting + Sound Zine making workshop: Jun/July 2023 Wysing Arts Centre Cambridge UK
Sound Diary + Contact Mic Workshop: March 2022 Wysing Arts Centre Cambridge UK
One Minute Wonder Workshop with Annis Joslin: Feb 2022 Hove Museum & Art Gallery Brighton & Hove UK
Noise of Pollution Workshop with Sarah Sajid: Jan, March 2018 Watermans Art Centre & The Rise School UK
Vital Capacities Virtual Residency: June 2021 UK
Westfjords Residency: Feb 2018 Iceland