During her residency with Opera Omaha, Lee closely studied handmade costumes tailored for specific characters. In observing their alterable seams, a question emerged: what if not only garments, but cities, systems, and culture were designed for change?
Working from a traditional tailcoat, she turned the garment inside out, revealing the intricate seams and linings hidden from view. Cast at full scale in iron during a residency at Kohler Arts/Industry, the sculpture reveals this concealed interior, capturing every stitch in permanent form. What would have been visible on stage becomes the luminous interior. Botanical imagery of wild roses and deadly nightshade, opera’s symbols of love and death, are surfaced with white enamel and gilded with copper.
With the interior lit from below, Opera Coat makes visible the care and craftsmanship at the heart of cultural production.
“This is truly an object that was made by hand in the way that so many hands produce the final performance that the audience sees. There’s something that’s so beautiful to me about that level of commitment.”
