19/02/2025
모티프원과 헤이리예술마을, 그리고 배우 이나리
공간과 그 공간의 의도, 그리고 그곳의 사람에 대해 대화로 탐구하는 팟캐스트, ID.ID와의 속깊은 얘기.
Motif1, Heyri Art Valley, and Actor Nari Lee
In-depth conversations about space, its intentions, and the people within it, featured on the podcast ID.ID by White Sage
https://youtu.be/HAji7EyTHKA
Episode introduction
Nari Lee is the host of guesthouse Motif1. She is also an actress and lover of animals. Nari shares more onf Motif1 including it's history, her favourite pieces in the space and what's to come.
about ID.ID
A podcast where I speak with the people who reside, designed or photographed the spaces shared in my Interiorj Design mood board account, White Sage( ). ID.ID stands for Interior Design Identification.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0x5Tyki5ZNEMyhJoCd1FrL?si=29a5f85b865246e6
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-Xanthea | Hello, Thank you for joining. My name is Xanthea and this is ID.ID a podcast where I speak with the people who reside, designed or photographed the spaces shared on my interior design moodboard Instagram account, White Sage. I guess this episode is Nari Lee of Motif1. Motif 1 is a guest house which if you follow me on Instagram, White Sage( ), you've definitely seen photos of packed with books and big windows that look out onto trees.
Nari is an actor and the host of Motif1 ( .1 ). Meeting Nari( .ri ) in person and learning more about Motif1 kind of helped with the entire concept behind this podcast where you just see photos of a space online and then being able to physically inhabit them and learn more about the spaces gives you a 3D understanding. I'm so excited to have Nari on. It was great to get to speak with her again and I'm very looking forward to sharing more about Motif1 and with anyone listening.
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-Xanthea | Hi, Nari, how are you?
"Nari | Hello! How are you? I'm good."
-That's good. I'm good. Thank you so much for mating.
"Thank you so much for inviting me."
-I'm really excited to get to share with everybody more about Motif1. Let's get started with it. So I'll just ask, who are you and where are you located?
"My name is Nari. I live in Korea. I am host and curator of Arrtist Residence and guesthouse called Motif1. I also have another identity as an actress. I started acting when I was very young and continue to work in theater, film, dramas, and various other media. The guesthouse I host is located in Paju, South Korea, which is the northernmost point in the country. The border between North Korea and South Korea runs just above our village, making it a historically significant location. In Paju, there is a village called Heyri, known as Artist Village. I live in this beautiful, creative art village and run this small but motivational place called Motif1. Here, I get to meet and communicate with people from all around the world, including artists and creators like you. Through these interactions, I gain the energy to work with them as well.""
-So what is Motif1? How did it kind of come about as a space?
"To introduce Motif1, I have to talk about my father because he built Motif1 in 2005. He was a journalist and also worked for a publishing company before starting Motif1. One day, while at work, he decided he needed to try something new. So, he quit his job and began preparing for the second chapter of his life. He envisioned Motif1 as a multi-purpose place providing rest and inspiration to artists and travelers.
After he quit his job, my father traveled all over the U.S. and Canada. One of the towns he visited was Stratford in Ontario, a small town known for its theater festival(The Stratford Festival) that runs for more than half of the year. My dad stayed there for a long time, even lodging at a theater director's house. While he was there, he met a bunch of artists and experienced the vibrant arts scene throughout the town. He realized he wanted to create a space like that, where he could live and share art with people.
So, he returned to Korea and, inspired by his experiences, started Motif1, an artist's residence in Heyri Art Village. My dad, who loved traveling, often said that meeting people from all over the world at Motif1 was another way of traveling.
He started this place in 2005, and my father ran it for over 17 years. A few years ago, when my mom retired from her job, they began traveling all over the world together again, starting a new chapter in their lives—the third part of their journey. That's when I took over Motif 1 and began hosting and curating. My parents have been traveling for more than two years now and haven't returned to Korea; they are currently in Guatemala."
-Oh, really! Amazing.
"Yeah, it's truly amazing to see them living that kind of life. You often see people living like that in documentaries or books, but it's different when it's your own parents. They really enjoy it! We're always chatting on the phone and video calling, and it's amazing to see them. They're not just traveling; they're meeting people and trying to live in the moment, day by day."
-And get to know it, learn about it. That's so nice.
"Yeah, my father wrote a book with his experiences and enlightenment here in his 10th year of running Motif1. One of my favorite sentences from it is: 'If traveling is a change of mindset rather than just physical distance, then I've probably been the longest traveler of the last decade.'"
-That's so nice.
"I think that's what I do right now. I've been traveling from meeting people from all over the world and conversation something right now it's happening."
-Yeah and I love to Motif1 really encourages that its layout and everything it's quite communal and like you go out and you make a coffee and other people are there and you kind of, yeah your bedroom's yours but you're welcome to kind of go out and pull a book off the shelf and read it. And if you pass by somebody, then you can kind of strike up conversation with them and learn about them. And if you're there as well and like, yeah getting to chat and everything I really like that that's a thing and also your father's way of being and it's such a kind of tangible version of that him coming up with Motif1. So it's really nice and I like that you approach it in the same sort of way where. Yeah you're traveling by like not traveling and just getting to meet people from everywhere.
"Yeah, because my dad ran this place for so long, I've been watching how he created this space for a very long time. So it's just in me, because I know what he was doing. So I'm doing it now, and I love that what he created is very motivating to me."
-You do really well with having the guests and greeting and hosting as well. It's very natural to you."
"Yeah, thank you. I think it's good for me too because I'm also an actress. Engaging in conversations and meeting people helps me, and it allows me to better understand and more convincingly embody different roles."
-Yeah I guess it's kind of fresh characteristics and things to pick up from each person that you come across. It's a really cool way of thinking about it. Can you talk more about the village that Motif1 is built in?
"Yeah, the village is very interesting. This artist village, called Heyri, is organized by more than 300 artists, including directors, authors, and architects. I think the village is one big cultural community because the neighbors are very close, and they always talk about how art can enrich this village. Every year, we have festivals—art festivals with street performances and exhibitions by artists who live in and out of village along with all sorts of fun programs.
My father was one of the earliest members of Heyri because he was involved in the artists' village development plans before he quit his job. After returning from his travels, he knew he had to participate in the Heyri program.
"He really loved this village and always said it had potential. Knowing how much he loved it made me love it too. These days, many young artists and other interesting people are coming to Heyri, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how the atmosphere evolves in the next few years. As you’ve probably noticed, this town has many galleries, cafes, and museums, as well as music venues and even an independent movie theater.
I always love walking around the neighborhood because this village is built in harmony with nature. The architecture and landscape are beautiful, and since Korea has four distinct seasons, I appreciate being able to fully experience each one in Heyri.
-Yeah, that's so nice. It's really beautiful being in nature, and the buildings are amazing. There are really kind of brutalist buildings. I remember there was this big concrete one that had a tree sticking out of the side of it, but there was a wall that was cut out to let the tree go through. It's so cool!
"Oh yeah, there are so many architecture students who come to this village to do new studies on our architecture too."
-Cool. Yeah it's a cool village. It seems it's very responsive to its inhabitants kind of thing like having the artists there and knowing that and seeing how the village is informed by them. Yeah it's very special. It'd be really interesting. So can you talk more then on the architecture of Motif1.
"As you've noticed, our house has many windows, and we're fortunate to have a bit of green space. I hesitate to call it a garden, but it's something garden-like with several large trees right outside the windows. This was intentional; we wanted to foster a connection with nature, to create moments where the boundary between the outside world and our interior space seems to dissolve."
-"Yeah, yeah, you really feel like you're kind of sitting among the treetops when you're there.
"And we wanted the square window frame to act as a picture frame or painting frame, allowing you to watch the landscape change throughout the seasons. In 2005, when my dad started creating Motif1, this type of building was not very common in Korea. Our goal was to build an artists' residence where people could stay, connect, and share experiences, so we designed it with many rooms. Since this kind of building was unfamiliar at the time, my dad needed an architect who could collaborate closely with him and create something truly unique.
That's how he met architect Minsuk Cho, the founder of Mass Studies, who is a very well-known architect today. In 2003, he wanted an architect who was young, experimental, and willing to challenge conventions. My father met him when he had just arrived in Korea after a solid career abroad. Together, they worked for more than one or two years just drawing the building. Thanks to him and my father, their imagination and creativity resulted in some of the most unique buildings we have today. I liked the atmosphere that developed over time. The basic drawings of the building also have their own unique identity.
-Yeah it's very purpose-built like everything has its reason. There's nothing kind of excessive in the design like it's just simple and effective but it's so beautiful and clear.
"Hmm, it can be just like concrete. Look, the buildings are made of concrete, but the rough texture and the plants cover these buildings right now; that's how they tend to be. So yeah, I think this building has something unique that does not change over time."
-Yeah it's nice to have it super in harmony then with nature letting nature take over and then having it built to the windows of the focus like into the trees and everything it's but it's still quite alike square shaped building. I love that that's my favorite kind of type of design where it is that kind of like blocky almost design but marrying that with nature makes it really beautiful and softens it. And yeah, it's a beautiful, beautiful space.
"Thank you. I just love to, you know, do nothing and just relax."
-Just look out in Motif1 as well as the guest book. Yeah I've told you this but I was so sad that we missed writing in it when we came to visit. We'll do it next time, but it's so nice. It was a nice thing to read about everyone's time in the space. But also people do drawings, and there's someone who had left like a Polaroid photo in there as well. I think that there may be a painting. I could be imagining it but yeah it's really beautiful. It's a really good thing to have.
"Every page is artistic, isn't it?"
-Yeah, yeah, it's not just a sentence and then people are done. It's very detailed.
"Yeah, it is. It's amazing how detailed the stories in it are. The guest book has been there since the very beginning because, you know, Motif1 is all about connecting with each other. So now, it's like the most treasured item in our house."
-That's so nice.
"I think, like you said, the guest book is one of the biggest experiences for the people who come here because it's not just one person's story; it's the stories of tens of thousands of people. Every page is very different and unique in its own way. So yeah, it is, you know, that people come here and write down their feelings, just like anyone else."
-That's so sweet.
"And then they write down their current feelings, you know, uncertain futures, worries, and hopes - everything is in there. So, in that kind of environment, everyone reads about their secrets, and also very common things, and then they encourage each other."
-Hmm, and yet comforting.
"Hmm, I think it's wonderful that they are all supporting each other, even though they haven't met. They leave notes for the next person who comes to this room. Yeah, and the next person might say, 'I wish all the best for you,' and the response is often, 'Thank you so much.' That's so sweet. I think it's amazing how they read and encourage each other. There are also people who come back to Motif1. They want to find out and read what they had written. They discover that the person they were when they wrote it gave them the courage to be the person they are today."
-That's so nice. It's really special for them to have that kind of safe space that you guys have created, and then to remember, come back, and share it again. It's lovely that it's such a vulnerable, comfortable, and safe space that people feel they can share their stories. It's really, really lovely.
"And it's been 20 years since it started in 2005. This year is 2025, so it's 20 years. Even those who came 10 or 13 years ago are still visiting here. So it's kind of, yeah..."
-Yeah, it's pretty amazing.
"Yeah. So it's like the guest book – what the guest book contains is, you know, that when people share their most personal stories, they become the most public stories too. So yeah, I think that's what the guest book does."
-Yeah. And what do you do when they get full? Do you change it each year, or do you wait until it gets filled up?
"Oh, I just leave them on the bookshelf. We do have a collection of all the guest books. Oh yeah, we have more than I don’t know—hundreds of guest books. We have about five books in each room and also in the library, and they date back to 2005."
-Oh, all of them are there. True, I guess that is kind of what you were saying. I just didn't realize there would be so many still on file for 20 years. It's amazing!
"Yeah, so that's our treasure."
-Yeah, absolutely, I can say why. What are some of your favorite pieces in Motif1?
"You know, I already talked about the guest book. Yes, I can mention the furniture; you know, the bookshelf and the desk are all made by my father himself."
-Amazing~
"Yeah, 20 years ago, when he built this place, he had to bring out his tent in the library. He set up a tent and stayed there while he made it himself."
-How long did it take you?
"Oh, I think it took more than a month. Yeah, his friend was a very good woodworker, so he worked on it with him. That means the desk is over 20 years old, and before that, the wood had to dry for five years. I assume that this kind of large tree must be more than 150 years old. I love the fact that all of this, along with that immense time, is part of the fabric of our history."
-Yeah, it's like adding layers and layers—compounding histories, really.
"Yeah, exactly. And then my sister and brother were also growing up here, so I love that my family's old history is inside here. You know, all the pieces are from my family, and they all have stories too."
-I love that that's then shared with people like shared with essentially strangers I guess like when they book in it's very open for you guys to have that and then you're welcoming these people in and then they'd kind of leave not as strange because they've essentially come into your home and been with these pieces that your family has also been with and loved that.
"I think it's because of the way of living. That's what my family has always tried to do—welcoming people. They truly love to communicate with others and have warm hearts. I believe that's why we can welcome others with a warm heart."
-Yeah I think so. And then again, that leads to people feeling comfortable to writing in the guest book and everything like it all ties in it leads to people feeling comfortable kind of coming out for their morning coffee because I'm not great in the morning I'm not a morning person but like you feel okay to be able to go out there because it's your own space. It felt when I was there like my own space but it's not it's shared with a lot of people but that's really comforting as well.
"That's important. You know, it's your own house. Well, that's good."
-Yeah too when I was there as well. And this leads into your new kitten that I have seen when I was there. There was the local stories and then when we were speaking with you learned that you and your sister you've adopted a dog and you do work as well fostering dogs since you adopted your own.
"I always feed the cats that come to Motif1, like my puppy. Her name is Bom, which means 'spring' in Korean. She was my sister's first foster dog, so we eventually adopted her because we didn’t know how to say goodbye.
Since then, my sister and I have personally fostered puppies and helped them get adopted through that process. My family has always been friendly with animals because my grandparents lived in a very old town, close to nature.
We have always been very friendly with nature. We always had puppies when we were young, but after my sister worked for an international organization during her 20s and lived in France and Africa, my younger brother also studied abroad. I never thought we could have another animal, but she moved back to Korea just before the pandemic. I started living with my sister in Seoul.
So, I thought maybe we could try fostering to help them get adopted, instead of adopting one ourselves. That’s how we started. Since then, I haven’t been able to turn away when I see abandoned dogs or cats, or any other animals in need. I’ve also personally rescued dogs and cats, like her. It’s been about five years since we adopted Bom, and since then, we’ve fostered nine dogs and two cats. It's so great to see them find good homes and move on with their lives."
-Yeah, do you keep in touch with any of the people who adopt them?
"Some of them are in Korea, some are in Canada, and some are in the U.S. Nowadays, we have Instagram, so I can still see how they are doing. That makes me happy."
-Yeah, that’s one of the good things about the Internet—especially being able to check in on them. So sweet!
"With humans, I sometimes feel there are little gaps in the conversation. However, with animals, even though we’re not having a verbal conversation, I feel that I can communicate without dialogue. It fills me with energy and love. I think I do this because I want to live in harmony with all beings in the world, with respect and interaction."
-Yeah, especially when they’re so cute!
"It is. She’s a kitten who is four months old. I found her in Heyri. She was on the street due to the low temperature, as it was just the beginning of winter. I had to take her to the hospital and take responsibility for saving her. I named her Gaeul, which means 'autumn' in Korean, because she has three colors."
-Oh my gosh, that’s so cute! Is there a story connected to any of the pieces in Motif1?
"Oh, sure. Every piece in Motif1 is connected to our family. For example, the largest photo hanging in the gallery was taken by my dad 16 years ago at the trip of Africa. All the paintings and pictures are by guests who visited, friends, my sister, or other family members. The painting in the room where you're staying was created by a guest who visited Motif1 and gifted it to us as a present."
-That's nice.
"Yeah, that’s why they’re hanging in that room. The LPs playing in the gallery were collected by my dad and me when I was very young, searching from market to market. All the small pieces are from my sister and brother, who were living abroad. Oh, and do you remember the poster that I showed you?"
-Yeah, the one of you or your brother?
"Yeah, my poster is hanging there, and my brother's poster is on the wall too."
-It’s so nice.
"I was an actress, so my movie poster from 1997 is hanging in the library, and my brother is also making a movie. So, his poster is on the wall too. If anyone points to them and asks about them, I can..."
-It has a story, and it has a purpose. It's really nice, as well. It's very graphic, quite abstract, and, from memory, really pretty.
"Recently, I saw the pictures from 2005 when it was just built. I found some photos and drawings, and there were already plants there. Oh, that makes me feel like this is something special. Over the past 20 years, we have many layers of stories, but even before that, we already had stories too. Yeah, so I thought, oh, this place is just full of stories."
-Yeah, there’s a kind of space and allowance for all the stories to be told. I think the architecture, being so simple, allows for a beautiful view of the trees. The various pieces within the space, including the many books and the beautifully designed furniture, all contribute to a harmonious environment. Despite having so many stories and voices present, it doesn’t feel noisy at all. Instead, it’s such a serene space, thanks to the thoughtful architecture and layout. Everything achieves a good balance.
"Yes, I think that’s why I wanted to mention our main library. It’s filled with so many books, but I also see them as gallery pieces. Everything in the library is unique and artistic. So, while I can definitely call it a library, it also feels like a gallery."
-Yeah, it definitely feels that way, but it also remains welcoming for taking books off the shelves. It’s not a scary gallery; everything is so beautiful. The space is open, inviting you to explore, touch, and make it your own.
"I love them all, but I’m not afraid of them being destroyed or taken away."
-Yeah, they’re not overly precious, but they’re all very special at the same time.
"Yeah, so everyone can touch, ask about, or take them."
-What are some of your recently viewed tabs?
"Ah, I tend to read rather than, you know, browse the internet. But I've been thinking over some topics that interest me. One is the author Han Kang, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature. It's very meaningful because she is the first Korean woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature. Her novels are so sad and beautiful at the same time; I have read almost all of them, and I like them very much.
And she also wrote novels about Korean historical events, which is very comforting in times of war and inequality. So, my recently opened tab category is 'Nobel Prize Literature lecture of Hangang.' And next, it's winter here, but spring will come soon. So I also looked up the plants in the garden. I love plants, especially indoor plants, but what I want to do this year is make this garden more organized. Yeah, I'm trying to look up the trees.
And oh, and I listened to lots of movies and audiobook podcasts. Yeah, you know, on Instagram I like architecture too, because I have to clean the house. So while cleaning or driving, the best thing I do is always listening to podcasts."
-Yeah I've started to do that too where if I need to clean, I'll save my favorite podcasts to listen to while I clean. So it's kind of like a trick myself into doing it. It's very helpful. Yeah it is, it makes it enjoyable.
"Yeah, it is! So that's what I do these days. I'm also very interested in architecture and furniture design. I'm particularly drawn to timeless architecture and furniture. I think that's one of the reasons I like secondhand furniture too because they tend to last longer. Yeah, I want to study more about architecture and furniture as well."
-Yeah, amazing. And what's something that you're excited for over the coming months?
"I think I've told you, but I'm creating these various activities in Motif1. We're doing yoga together, talking about traveling and other cultures, and listening to music together. So yeah, I've been doing it for a few months, and it's very fun for me. I want to organize these gatherings more, you know, these small meetups where we have conversations about different topics."
-Yeah, one of my first guests on this podcast was Babette. She has a space and has begun to launch events within that space to invite people in. I hadn’t realized the power of something like that—bringing people into a space where they’re not only there to talk to each other, but also to do yoga or, in Babette's case, to enjoy a movie night. I think it's so nice because you're bringing people in with that intention, and they’ll naturally start to talk as well. Maybe after the class, they’ll continue the conversation. It’s not just a casual 'Hi, how are you?' People discuss the class or share their experiences. There’s so much power in creating a program for people to come and interact.
"Yes, it is! I'm always meeting people through the guests, but this program that I'm organizing allows for deeper conversations. It helps us get to know each other better.
It's very fun. Personally I'm hosting, you know, read the books together online right now. Yeah, I'm doing it now, and oh, my movie will be released in March, so I'm really looking forward to it!"
-Wow! What's the movie called? Can you tell me?
"Oh, Cho Hon—it's a Korean movie. It's about students and workers in Korea in the 1980s and also incorporates some traditional historical stories.
And since this year marks the 20th anniversary of Motif1, I'm excited to see what comes my way. Yeah, yeah. So, my goal is to be brave enough to embrace new opportunities."
-That's a good way to be.
"Yeah, that's what I always try to do."
-Is there anything else that you want to talk about that we didn't touch on?
"No, I don't think so. Yeah, it was fun having this conversation with you because I usually speak in Korean, but this was in English. I've been meeting lots of creators from abroad, so doing this kind of podcast is also a new experience for me."
-Yeah, thank you so much, Nari Lee, for having the time with me and sharing more about Motif1 and more about yourself as well and your acting and fostering work. And yeah it was just really, really lovely to get to learn more about you and the space.
"Hmm, no, thank you so much for inviting me! It was so fun to share my stories and the Motif1 stories with you."
Thank you for tuning in to this episode of ID.ID. Feel free to share this with someone who you think would enjoy it or spread the word on social media. Join us next time for ID.ID. In the meantime, you can follow me on Instagram. I'm White Sage with two underscores between the words white and Sage( ). Bye!
Motif1, Heyri Art Valley, and Actress Nari LeeIn-depth conversations about space, its intentions, and the people within it, featured on the podcast ID.ID by ...
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