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Artist Statement

 

Yoonthology

Good and Evil on our Hand

Yoonjung Lee uses her sculptural paintings as narrative pieces to discuss mental health topics. She is passionate about exploring the concepts of self-acceptance, making choices, and inspiring the blossoming of new possibilities. By depicting multiple faces within a single portrait, Lee can portray diverse perspectives emotions, and pique curiosity about the many elements within the piece. 

She begins by layering acrylic paint to create scenes of realistic fairy tales. Lee’s creative process combines happy coincidences and carefully planned, intentional movements of meditation and writing. With a thick layer of acrylic paint on the canvas, Lee uses her hands to manipulate and form basic shapes. She then uses a palette knife, brush, or any nearby sharp tool to layer fine details and writing throughout the piece. The writings within her pieces are subtle and cryptic, like a private conversation that’s being overheard but not fully understood. By layering movements and adding small details, Lee creates a rough shape that gradually builds into a path to the unique imagination. Many uncanny aspects are hidden throughout the piece that will lead the viewer on a personal journey.  

Lee’s work evokes introspection within the viewer, forcing them to think about how they perceive the world around them and to question their positive or negative perspectives. Her work expresses that there is always a brighter side to seemingly dark situations, like the two sides of a coin. The chains used throughout her pieces show that it’s possible to break our self-imposed boundaries and limitations, allowing us to seek new possibilities.

CV

EDUCATION

2023           MFA Mount Royal, Maryland Institute College of Art - Baltimore, MD

2016           BFA Fine Art, School of Visual Arts - New York, NY

 

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITION

 2022     Metamorphosis, SVA Seoul Gallery – Seoul, Korea

2021     Serendipity, Factory Gallery – Seoul, Korea

2021     Delightful Agony, Becky Gallery – Jeonju, Korea

2021     Naïve Dreams, Art Sppace Kimyo – Seoul, Korea

2020     Acceptance, Factory Gallery – Seoul, Korea

2019     Relationship_Wabisabi, CY Art Space – Seoul, Korea 

2019     Follow your Flow, Gallery Ilho – Seoul, Korea

2019    Portrait of You, H Contemporary Gallery – Seungnam, Korea

2019    Silhouette of Surroundings, Space Ryu, Gyunggido, Korea

2018    Portrait of Mind, SeoJin Art Space  - Seoul, Korea

2017     Love Yourself Be Yourself, Alternative space Noon  -  Suwon, Korea

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION/ FAIR

2024    Evolving Identities, Sotheby’s Institute of Art – New York, USA

2024     Aqua Art Miami –  Florida, USA

2024     Confluence, Area 405 – Maryland, USA

2024     Past, Present, and Future, Gallery Episode – New Jersey, USA

2023      Dreaming reality_현실속 희망을 얘기하다, KCCU gallery, New Jersey, USA

2023      Fleeting Presence, Nomu Nomu – Maryland, USA 

2023      PLAS 2023, COEX exhibit hall  – Seoul, Korea 

2023      Art of Caring,_CASA, American Visionary Museum – Maryland, USA 

2023      Youth, Gallery PaL  – Seoul, Korea 

2023      MTR Thesis Show, Meyerhoff and Decker Gallery – Maryland, USA 

2023      Rebirth Restart, Rosenburg Gallery – Maryland, USA 

2022      Holding Tension, Riggs and Leidy Gallery – Maryland, USA 

2022      Portraits, eco rock gallery – Kyung Gi, Korea

2021     Creative Destruction, Ban Social Club – Incheon, Korea

2021     One Wall, Two Wall, Floor, Riggs and Leidy Gallery – Maryland, USA

2020     Colors of Memory, Yoonion Art Space – Seoul, Korea

2020     Ban Social Club, Ban social club – Incheon, Korea

2020     Colours of Memory, Art Space Kimyo – Seoul, Korea

2019     Guang Zhou Fall Art Fair, Canton Exhibition Hall – Guang Zhou, China

2019     Chihada Art Fair, Frottage Gallery – Seoul, Korea

2019     Present on May, Leesu Gallery – Seoul, Korea

2019     Design Fair 2019, Seoul Art Center – Seoul, Korea

2019     Maslow’s Dream, Austrian Residence – Beijing, China

2019     Open Studio, Red Gate Gallery – Beijing, China

2019     Dreaming Future, Gallery ilho – Seoul, Korea

2018     Seoul Art Show, COEX exhibit hall A – Seoul, Korea

2018     SEEA, Seungnam Art Center – Gyunggido, Korea

2018     DaeJeon International Art Fair, Daejeon Expo-  Daejeon, Korea

2018     NES Alumni Exhibition, Deiglan Gallery – Akureyri, Iceland

2018     The Look of New Media, Young Art Gallery-  Seoul, Korea

2018     Opið hús, Nes Residency  -  Skagastrond, Iceland

2018     Artist Statement#3, CICA Museum  -  Gimpo, Korea

2018     World Fair Exhibition, Canton Museum of Art,  -  Ohio, USA

2017     Color, CICA Museum  -  Gimpo, Korea

2017     Temporary Identity, Galerie102  - Berlin, Germany

2017     Nothing New Under the Sun, Astudio2352  -  Seoul, Korea

2017     Just like yesterday, Compeung   -  Chiang Mai, Thailand

2016     Vague Name of Time, Rabbithole  -   Brooklyn, NY

2016     SVA Open Studio 4-17, School of Visual Arts - New York, NY

2016     Glitches in the Grass, Rabbithole  -   Brooklyn, NY

2016     One Consciousness, BronxArtSpace - New York, NY

2015     Hi-Res/LoRez, SVA Flatiron Gallery  -   New York, NY

2014     DIG, The Firehouse Space  -   Brooklyn, NY

ARTIST RESIDENCIES

05/2019        Duplo Artist Residency, Cadiz, Spain

03/2019        Red Gate Residency, Beijing, China

04~05/2018  NES Artist Residency, Skagaströnd, Iceland

06~09/2017  Gallerie 102, Berlin, Germany

04/2017        Cerdeira Village, Lousã, Portugal

01/2017        Compeung, Chiang Mai, Thailand

PUBLICATION

Interview_ Meet YoonJung Lee - Bold Journey

https://boldjourney.com/meet-yoonjung-lee/

Interview_ Meet YoonJung Lee - Canvas Rebel

https://canvasrebel.com/meet-yoonjung-lee/

Review YoonJung Lee’s Serendipity, Starting scrabble of monologue to the monologue of being and daily life - Art Guide Magazine

Essay_Artist as a Transformers - Big Issue Magazine

https://bigissue.kr/magazine/new/259/1000

​더 프리뷰 ( The Preview)  -  2019/08/19

http://www.thepreview.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=2222

시사 뉴스 저널 (News Journal)  -  2019/08/19

http://www.sisanewsjournal.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=517

​경인 일보 (Kyung in News)  -  2017/12/13

http://www.kyeongin.com/main/view.php?key=20171211010003014

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