featured artists

color in circulation

Surrendering the sketch, Jung A Lee goes straight to canvas with unpredictable results. In a process of almost jazzy improvisation, she works with quick-drying media, pouring her time and effort into experiencing and responding to the emotions and moods of the creative moment.

Jung A begins with a mind map, organizing and expanding early ideas through research and reflection. Her approach to drawing, however, remains decidedly instinctive, constantly exploring the human psyche and its connection to the natural world. For her, colors are emergent, and painting as a whole remains a spontaneous medium through which to examine philosophical questions, delve into the subconscious, and search for unexpected connections between the self and the external realm.

Jung A is influenced by her Korean roots, in particular her father’s hometown, a place where traditional modes of life are still preserved with remarkable devotion. The memories and values she internalized here have harmonized into ecological sensibilities, leading her to ponder upon and integrate natural colors and materials into her work in meaningful ways. The winding, organic lines that have recently appeared in her work have been inspired by elements such as plant roots, bodily organs, and blood vessels, colored in such a way that expresses an eternal sense of vitality and inner strength.

What begins with introspection eventually reaches outward, creating a cyclical structure that returns to its origins and facilitates rewarding exchange between the inside and out. When standing in front of Jung A’s paintings, viewers feel the urge to let go of preconceptions and interpretive obligations, uncovering meanings behind the symbols, deciphering hidden narratives, and voicing points of emphasis and resolution upon whims of fancy.

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