WORK SCISSORS PAPER
Instead of conforming to corporate demands or societal expectations, Lily channeled her rebellious spirit into creating a portfolio that was unapologetically her own. Over the next four years, she continued to create new portfolios every two years. “Work Scissors Paper” is the name of her portfolio series, which offers a playful twist on the game of rock, paper, scissors. She envisioned these portfolios as more than just digital files for job applications; she wanted to create something physical, like a book, with each edition being completely different in format, concept, and style. In 2017, she released Work Scissors Paper NO.1*, and in 2019, she followed up with Work Scissors Paper NO.2**, titled “Do Not Think Too Much.”
PAPER NO.2, 2019
Work Scissors Paper NO.1 was designed like a newspaper - with loose, unbound pages that could easily be thrown away or recycled if the viewer didn’t like them. In contrast, Work Scissors Paper NO.2 took the form of a photo book without text, inspired by the phrase “Do Not Think Too Much,” which Lily often heard while working as a hotel designer. By omitting the text, she wanted to free herself and the viewer from the burden of overthinking.
Lily was unable to make a new edition of Work Scissors Paper in 2021 and 2023. During this time, her work became more aligned with corporate expectations, focusing on polished designs aimed at a broad audience. However, this approach left her feeling creatively drained, like turning a vibrant, colorful image into black and white. Lily felt she had lost her color and struggled to regain it after being in this monochromatic state.
In 2024, after five years, she created the third edition of Work Scissors Paper. This third book is the “Lily & Lee’s: Drawings, Photographs, Books, Ephemera, and Recent Works” you are currently viewing, and it is a collection of works composed solely of Lily’s thoughts, excluding any projects she completed at her job.
WORK SCISSORS PAPER NO.3
36p, Perfect Binding, 180 x 245 mm, 2024
36p, Perfect Binding, 180 x 245 mm, 2024