Hee-Jeong Moon positions herself as a transcendental outsider, a celestial envoy sent down to reinforce the forgotten spirit of human civilization through the medium of art.

Leafing through the pages of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s, “the Secret Garden,” Hee-Jeong found herself yearning for a fantastically verdant sanctuary to call her own. Fueled by the enchantment of local landscapes, the rhythm of nightly poetry readings, and the lingering afterglow of vivid dreams, a personal utopia began to mature within her heart.

With the precision of a landscape gardener, she meticulously cultivates fragments of daily life, reshuffling them into opulent color combinations of acrylic and watercolor gouache. Like voices in an echo chamber, these colors resonate into layers and breathe life into Hee-Jeong’s surrealist universe. Applying modeling paste to the canvas, she introduces texture, summoning the viewer to engage with her work on a tactile level. Each piece morphs into a collage, an intricate mosaic of personal memories, real-world events, and the unpredictable terrain of subconscious thoughts.

Hee-Jeong is also influenced by therapeutic moments spent with childhood pets and encounters with rare creatures boasting the most flamboyant aesthetics. From white peacocks adorned with cotton candy hearts, to purple-tinted leopards emerging from colossal floral buds, her artistic menagerie celebrates a harmonious coexistence of animals and human forms. Fulfilling her calling, Hee-Jeong convinces us to open our imaginations and permit the fantastical to flower in everyday life.

The Secret Garden (2021). Gouache on Paper. 76 x 56cm.

Snow, Flower, Moon (2022). Mixed Media on Paper. 50 x 50cm.

The Meditation Garden (2021). Gouache on Paper. 91 x 73cm.

Jeju 2 (2021). Gouache on Paper. 73 x 51cm.

The Tail (2022). Gouache on Paper. 35 x 27.5cm.

The Tail (2021). Gouache on Paper. 65 x 53cm.

Discover more of Hee-Jeong’s works in Issue 3 of our magazine!