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The Space We Take

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Print Details

The Space We Take by Ness Lee
Fine art giclée print on Italian cold-press watercolor paper
20” x 16" with a half-inch border
Edition of 50 + 5 APs
Signed & numbered
Printed with by Paragon Press
Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery

Leatherback Sea Turtle by Brian Skerry
Photograph by Alex de Vries Magnifico

"The Space We Take" by Ness Lee (Canada) sheds light on the threatened leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), one of seven sea turtle species that call our oceans home. The leatherback sea turtle is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Artist Statement

"This piece was created to highlight the endangerment of the leatherback sea turtle and our impact we as humans have on their livelihoods. As humans, we have taken for granted the very environment in which we occupy- forgetting that without nature and the ecosystem that comes with it, we would not be living as we are today. With this thought and its effects on endangered species such as the Leatherback Sea Turtle, the notion of space and how much we occupy as humans come to mind - do we bear in mind our actions and the ways we cause harm individually and collectively? How much room do we make for each other and the living species that surround us, near and far? With this piece, I wanted to illustrate our presence as impact- the space that we take up and the way we operate within it, becoming what animals are forced live with and unknowingly try and adapt to.

Leatherback Sea Turtles contribute to the marine ecosystem by consuming jellyfish, helping to maintain the jellyfish population and in turn maintain the food chain consumption that proceeds- making the Leatherback Turtles an integral part of the marine ecosystem. Whether or not we are exposed to the ocean as part of our day to day, we live with water in our lives and exercise habits, such as plastic pollution, that affect those waters- making our existence an integral part of the very system that we are causing harm to."
- Ness Lee -

Artist Bio

Ness Lee draws on history and personal narratives to create dreamy and surreal illustrations, paintings, sculptures, and installations. Often featuring her unique characters, Lee’s work offers a humorous and charming look at ideas of identity, culture, love, belonging, and oneness through her line work and novel use of media. Ness Lee’s work has been featured at the AGO First Thursdays, Drake Hotel, and the Tokyo Art Book Fair, as well as galleries in Boston, New York, and Toronto.

The Story behind The Space We Take

Ness Lee

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