Opening soon at the Decatur Arts Alliance gallery at Legacy Park, the “RISING” exhibition by Lori Lejeune will feature a selection of works that depict birds in flight.
Lejeune has been drawn to creatures in flight due to the symbolism of an animal overcoming gravity, imbuing the pieces with a sense of hope and freedom from restraints. “I began creating the Flight series a few years ago when I was seeking a way to move beyond some difficulties; it’s wonderful that people find the work to be uplifting as well,” said Lejeune.
While some of the birds in her pieces are recognizable in their shape, such as hummingbirds, the majority are simply symbolic and meant to evoke a feeling rather than an identifiable image of a specific animal. “They represent freedom, transformation, and hope,” Lejeune explained.
In addition to her affinity for birds and winged creatures in her works, Lejeune is also known for her signature “constellation” style of installation. Lejeune told me that she first was inspired to curate sets of related works that would be displayed in tandem when she met the late artist Diane Hause shortly after moving to Atlanta in 2005. Hause was, at the time, creating works on recycled compact discs (CDs).
“That inspired me to begin working with round shapes, and ultimately I developed my wall installation style by 2010.”
Throughout Lejeune’s career she has pursued creative expression in all forms, and her lifelong love of art can be traced back to her childhood. When she was in fourth grade she submitted a poster design for a parish-wide art contest in her hometown of New Orleans. She won a cash prize, and it was the first moment of recognition that unlocked an affinity for art that would carry her throughout her life.
“For a long time I did representational work, and then in high school I was inspired to start incorporating digital elements,” recalled Lejeune, who later attended the University of Texas at Austin where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree.
This combination of digital and traditional art mediums lent itself nicely to much of her employment since; with stints working as a web designer, a flash animator, email designer, and her current role as a freelance digital designer.
“I think they are two different parts of me being expressed at the same time,” said Lejeune of her parallel creative careers. ”Actually there is precedent for pursuing both of those things.”
Lejeune was particularly inspired by René Magritte’s ability to use motifs both in commercial advertising work as well as fine art paintings. Lejeune’s digital dexterity has afforded her flexibility to incorporate technical processes while developing her artistic style. “To me, it’s just another material. Some people use paint and pots, and I also like to incorporate pixels.”
Since the early days of Lejeune’s installation works, she has always dreamed of finding public spaces where her works could be on display permanently. Hoping that others would find her images of birds in flight to be as inspiring as she does, she has continued pushing forward on this dream while simultaneously installing her works in gallery shows and private homes.
Over the years, Lejeune has developed a playful art process that begins with freehand doodles.
She digitally sketches birds and discards all but the best doodles. Once she has her selection of images she develops them further, ultimately transferring them to canvas and using acrylic paint to add texture, movement, and dimension to the finished pieces. Most are monochrome and appear similar to smoke in the darkness, while others feature pops of color.
Despite developing a productive system for her works, Lejeune also leaves room for experimentation and accidents. “I think that the best work often results from unintentional accidents,” she told me.
The process, and resulting installations, of Lejeune’s “Flight” series have helped her get through several challenging times in her own life including a battle with cancer from which she has fully recovered. For a long time Lejeune had followed a gallery practice, but the events of 2020 and the pandemic’s restrictions on traditional indoor public art spaces inspired her to work toward more outdoor art installations.
“I have been creating throughout the whole time; it has just been slower,” said Lejeune. “This exhibit and speaking with you today represents a real comeback for me.”
Always a fan of experimentation with materials, some of Lejeune’s recent public art projects were completed in weatherproof vinyl installations. The pieces depicted butterflies as yet another representation of rising above life’s challenges. One outdoor vinyl piece was installed in Decatur, and another was in Dunwoody. In 2025, Lejeune is working toward sculptural installations as well.
“It’s about community, and about bringing people together,” Lejeune continued. I asked what she hoped people would take away from seeing “RISING” on display at the Hyatt Cottage, and she echoed her desire to inspire others.
“I would like people who come to the show to be inspired,” said Lejeune. “I would like them to feel that they can overcome difficulties, and I hope that they can relate to the expressions of freedom and hope that I am sharing.”
“RISING” will soon be installed at the Hyatt Cottage, the Decatur Arts Alliance’s satellite gallery location on the Legacy Park campus. The public is invited to an opening reception on Fri., Jan. 31 from 6-9 p.m. The exhibit will remain on view through March 31, 2025.
