My current works focus on my reflections on how perspective significantly influence the human mind. I paint imageries of cartoonish figures and environments which symbolizes psychological ideas. I interpret the childlike quality of my works are stems from children’s book which is the first source of learning multiple ways of looking at the world to me. My paintings are documentation of my inner world which I believe having some connections with other people’s psychology. I hide symbolisms in my works to represent my ideas indirectly but into the viewer’s subconscious. Contrast to the childlike mood; the symbols are about sexuality, suppression, and complexity of the world borrowing from metaphors and theories of the outside world. This symbols are not limited to representative objects but extend to visual elements such as lines, shapes, and textures to an appearance of the artworks. I want to share my ideas and sensations which could remain private, wish to connect with the viewers through my works.
Body parts are one of the symbolism I use repetitively, for example, ears to connect to the world, hands to control and execute, and a mouth to swallow and hold. Being naked will bring new sensations and change my perceptions that I am insecure about my body. Recent days, I approach to loosen control in my paintings and broaden possibilities of that paintings could be. I say myself a painter, even I dance, draw or make films, that all can be painting in my perspective. I will find a solution to represent my new sensations with my naked body parts that can be painting during the residency, even loosened control.
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Young Ju Lee was born and raised in South Korea. She immigrated to Canada and graduated from Langley Fine Arts School, Vancouver in 2015. She is currently getting her BFA in painting from Maryland Institute College of Arts in the United States.