Having studied photography and majored in installation and media studies in Seoul, Soohoon Lee took the plunge and relocated to Austria. He has since fleshed out a cartoon-esque universe in which collectives of imaginary characters reside. As an outlandish extension of his inner self, Soohoon’s subjects represent the convoluted emotions he feels across borders. Their many colors manifest as emotional temperatures, the shades of which shed light on his student life at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, as well as the contradictions that arise while reading himself into the fabric of Viennese culture. In order to feel at home, one must first be able to do so.

Indeed, to be considered as a citizen, newcomers far and wide are required to navigate the obligations, restrictions, and exclusionary boundaries of place. In many respects, the jarring and almost psychedelic nature of his paintings is a protest against the preposterous proposition that as a foreigner, he must work harder than everyone else simply to survive.

Discombobulated by inequalities on the ground, Soohoon felt increasingly detached from the freedom of expression that once epitomized his Austrian dream. as negativity escalated, the green-eyed monster compelled him to over-inflate the privileges of others, and gravitate back to familiar, albeit insular South Korean shores.

The emotional tumult is often so severe that it immobilizes Soohoon, preventing him from making rational decisions. As incapacity prevails, he is no longer able to slip through cracks of opportunity in front of his very eyes. Rather than repress the rage, Soohoon sublimates it through the keyhole and into his trademark works. He searches creatively for the master key of selfhood, unlocking pathways in new and empowering directions between the here, there, now, and then.

BIRTH OF THE KEY (2023). ACRYLIC ON CANVAS. 80 X 60CM.

SUITABLE KEY (2024). ACRYLIC ON CANVAS. 50 X 50CM.

KEY VS KEYRING (2023). ACRYLIC ON CANVAS. 110 X 90CM.

KEYRING CRUSH (2023). ACRYLIC ON CANVAS. 60 X 100CM.

Discover more of Soohoon’s works in Issue 4 of our magazine!