Through her healing landscape paintings, Yuji Lee expresses the inner wounds and feelings of loss that so many of us conceal from view. As if constructing a stone wall, she depicts a unique collection of bodily forms coexisting in a state of balance. Here, each body appears in a cocoon-like state, shielding itself from the specter of harm in the hope of some day transcending the abyss within. Yuji began by collaging pencil drawings into two black and white pieces before transferring both to color on canvas. While her initial landscapes appear as a dark and unsettling representation of internal despair, the use of dreamy oil paints and pigments demonstrate the resolve of Yuji’s subjects as they cultivate inner desires into a light and airy garden of transformation.

Lee Ho’s captivating piece is a raw and evocative exploration of emotion, rooted in the instinctual act of decoration. For Lee, decoration is more than a matter of embellishment; it is a deeply honest expression born from the pits of anxiety. 

Lee allows her imagination to fill in the blanks, crafting abstract landscapes with unique color combinations and distorted forms that reflect a sense of emotional disturbance. Rather than relying on calculated precision, Lee’s work evolves moment by moment, free from pressing real-world constraints. Rough sketches lay the groundwork, while spontaneous moods dictate the vivid, unbound palette that unfolds. The result is a decorative landscape that feels paradoxically unstable yet profoundly truthful, drawing the viewer into a realm of personal introspection and limitless imagination.

In the face of glaring imperfections and emotional lows, our bodies continue to move, survive and strive to thrive. By re-imagining the interior of the human body, Jisup Kim’s material forms such as blood vessels, cells and flesh intertwine as if to create a realm of energy, purpose and harmony on canvas. His peculiar inner landscape is a testament to the life that we have lived, the people we have touched, and the meaning we have made along the way.

After applying the paint, Jisup scraped into the layers using a sculptural knife in order to channel the process of artistic self-refinement. Learning from the traces of the past, he endeavors to instill in his audience a renewed sense of worth as well as the desire to maximize time and enact a better future in the present.

Life is awash with transient moments, many of which pass us by indifferently, never to return. In contrast, Jiwon Son’s painting leaves a deep and immediate impression, inviting the viewer to seek sanctuary and clarity within. If one gazes deeply enough, they will discover for themselves scatterings of cosmic dust and wonder, all of which stimulate pockets of emotion and allow revelations to unfold.

After establishing the atmosphere and composition, Jiwon created spontaneous watercolor effects using a smearing technique. She then allowed the paint to dry before penning in tiny dots and rubbing pastels and charcoal into the canvas so as to remove any water marks, accentuate the muted colors and achieve a sense of depth. Dynamic and enchanting, the use of conté and colored pencils compliments the dominance of the darkness, at the same time allowing the colors to seep through like the impressions of landscapes lost amidst the chaos of our busy lives.

In this piece, art teacher Hyewon Jeon cultivates a refreshing clearing for those of us slaving away in modern times. Using acrylic gouache rather than oil paints, she does away with the pomp so as to accentuate the monotonous lifestyles of those around her. At the same time, Hyewon’s therapeutic forestscape is a sacred space in which to unwind, contemplate, and stroll through life at a brisker pace. In this natural oasis, Mother Nature reaches out to her, repelling predatory impulses and protecting her from eagle eyes hovering overhead.

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