A curious side of feeling misplaced is that it’s common. Everybody, sooner or later, has felt peculiar, irregular, completely different from the remaining. And whereas these abnormalities could make us really feel self acutely aware, at instances ostracized, they’re usually additionally what make us essentially the most highly effective, essentially the most loveable.
So Youn Lee’s newest solo exhibition at Hashimoto Modern, Anomaly, explores the journey of feeling completely different and discovering belonging inside circumstances which are themselves unusual. Her most important characters Choco and Mango navigate a world of anomalous creatures discovering themselves and their extraordinary environment, imagining a spot the place these deemed peculiar or offbeat naturally discover a dwelling. Earlier than her solo exhibition opened on the Los Angeles gallery, the artist spoke with Katherine Hamilton about these characters’ growing narrative arcs, how a terrific loss impressed new modifications in her art work, and the way she’s persevering with to eschew stylistic labels.
Katherine Hamilton: Mango has been the protagonist of your work for some time now, adventuring by way of house together with your canine Choco. What do you are feeling like Mango has realized over these years? What have you ever realized from them?
So Youn Lee: It’s a really enjoyable query. I believe Mango has realized to like Choco much more. They’ve been on so many adventures collectively, comforting one another and being there for each other. I contemplate their story an area opera with coming-of-age parts. Mango has realized that they are often something and every part, so long as they keep curious and are prepared to vary.
I’ve realized persistence by way of artwork making, and expressing myself and concepts with many various mediums in comparison with the start of my journey with Mango and Choco. It began with pen drawings in 2013, now I create work, sculptures, digital work, and even 3D artwork of them. I nonetheless contemplate human beings as aliens and voyagers who keep on Earth for a given time after which depart; there’s extra within the universe than our bodily world, and I want to categorical these concepts with Mango and Choco by way of my work.
You usually mix textures: figures may seem easy, their pores and skin like a cloud, however explosions or solar rays behind them are rendered in vibrant colours with tough, gritty textures. What attracts you to mix not solely saturated and pastel variations of colours, however numerous textures on the canvas?
Mixing textures positively provides the portray floor extra character, and the distinction makes the figures evoke extra eerie emotions in comparison with the environment. I like the best way figures and the bottom develop into ambiguous, each in distinction and textures. The chaotic stimuli is a visible interpretation of how my mind works, seamlessly shifting from one thought to a different. It’s fairly amusing once I observe it. One of many issues that I actually take pleasure in about engaged on canvas is its physicality, in comparison with digital media. Making a bodily work looks like I’m giving a physique to a ghost or thought.
This exhibition with Hashimoto Modern, Anomaly, appears to be a unique thematic method. The place journey, optimism, or innocence could have been central themes in earlier works, you’re introducing new or expanded themes of discovering acceptance and belonging. Do you are feeling such as you’re venturing into new material?
From my perspective, these themes are interconnected. As I discussed above, I see the world of Mango as an area opera with coming-of-age parts, that are evolving and rising. The journey is about discovering one’s true self, and to try this, one wants to remain optimistic, experiencing and attempting out new issues. Solely then, they find out about acceptance and belonging for his or her environment and themselves. The sense of belonging is one thing that many individuals in our society search day by day, but it at all times begins with understanding who they’re and being comfy with it. Innocence nonetheless permeates the creative temper of my works; I attempt to be as real as potential at each step of the work in progress.
How do you discover belonging?
I’ve at all times felt like I’m a bit off-beat, which is enjoyable if you’re an artist. I believe each artist may really feel like they’re a bit bizarre as a result of we’re very delicate by nature.
I discovered my belonging by way of making and sharing artwork. I do know it sounds so predictable, nevertheless it’s true. I really feel related when somebody feels, sees, or perceives my work. It doesn’t essentially should be optimistic suggestions, however the interplay itself makes me notice that I exist. Particularly with immediately’s hyper-connected web tradition, when individuals have a look at my art work and discover connections, emotions, and interpretations that resonate with their very own experiences, I really feel related to the world. I additionally really feel a want to attach with numerous images, writings, and tales on the web that encourage me, searching for connections with them and the individuals behind them.
You talked about that this collection of works in Anomaly is the ultimate of a three-part introspective collection. What has challenged you these previous couple of years?
Sure, the three-part physique of labor began in late 2022. In June 2022, my canine Choco handed away. He was the inspiration behind the character Choco in my works, and he gave me the prospect to watch the purity of animals, which extends to nature. I realized rather a lot from him.
Earlier than his passing, the world of Mango was about dealing with challenges and specializing in the intense facet, and towards darkish forces of life similar to loss of life, sorrow, and despair. I needed to create a world that was secure and ideal. Nonetheless, after having to let go of him, I realized to mourn and dwell with grief. However that helped me to simply accept the duality of every part: good and dangerous, happiness and sorrow, life and loss of life on a extra private degree. I nonetheless miss him; he was the perfect—but I’ve been much more impressed by him these previous two years.
How did this monumental life change have an effect on your observe?
The change triggered a genesis—Mango’s new world. Within the new idea, Choco handed away and entered into limbo. Mango adopted him, however Choco didn’t keep in mind his greatest pal. They wanted to rebuild their bond and develop into pals once more. I needed to inform Choco’s actual story to increase his existence past actuality. I painted a really nonetheless and silent world, foggy and mysterious. I used a barely darker coloration palette in comparison with my earlier works, because the world was in a perpetual dawn-like state, marking the very starting. I showcased this physique of labor, In Limbo, in Hong Kong in April 2023.
Following the physique of labor, I began Solace, which was proven in Seoul in August 2023. It targeted on sleep, notably the sensation of consolation skilled when falling asleep. Throughout sleep, one can neglect all their issues and worries, feeling refreshed upon awakening. In Greek mythology, the gods of sleep (Somnus) and loss of life (Thanatos) are twins. Of their tradition, it’s believed that loss of life is akin to a protracted sleep. I discovered this concept interesting, because it appears to make the lack of a beloved another acceptable, in addition to the idea of 1’s personal passing. It gave me a way of aid. I painted Mango and Choco sleeping collectively, their eyes closed for the primary time, mimicking this twinness between sleep and loss of life.
The second a part of the collection, Lonely Hearts, was proven in London in February of 2024. This physique of labor explored and expressed the craving for real connection and communication in our modern lives. I built-in emojis into my works for the primary time to determine connections with the viewers and to specific the concept we’re totally emotional creatures behind our on-line profiles or cellphone screens. I used a lot of blues and greens for that exhibition to evoke a melancholic feeling and to convey the concept of the sweetness of being alone and the underlying loneliness. I additionally introduce Mango in that present impressed by the cloud emoji, Cumulonimbus. It would seem once more in Anomaly in a unique context.
You’ve talked about that artists like Aya Takano or Yoshitomo Nara are a few of your greatest influences. Their figures have these delicate, spherical edges that make them appear harmless, however there are parts of hazard—they will battle again. Do you are feeling like Mango and Choco have secret weapons?
Yoshitomo Nara is unquestionably my favourite artist of all time. I might say Mango and Choco’s secret weapon is their curiosity and open-mindedness, particularly towards prejudices. I constructed their world as a benign place full of potential and potentialities. I would like them to be free to be anybody and something. I would like them to battle again by being themselves. Generally silent stares are all you want.
There appears to be explicit guidelines on this planet you construct. Are there any sources of fiction or sci-fi you have got drawn from to create these narrative guidelines in your works, and the way they relate to the world round us?
I’m a giant fan of sci-fi motion pictures and comedian books, so I draw inspiration from many various references. I like the concept of communication between completely different species. It makes me surprise if we’re the one ones within the universe or if anybody else is on the market. To start with, Choco wore an area helmet, and in some work, each Choco and Mango are proven sporting helmets. I used the house helmet as an emblem for respecting one another’s boundaries and understanding that they’re from completely different worlds (with completely different cultures, beliefs, languages), however now that motif hardly ever seems in my work. As a substitute, Mango has develop into extra summary and fluid by way of their look and the way they mix into the setting. I believe we have realized to co-exist in a greater approach, at the very least in my work. It is like transformers in sci-fi motion pictures, the place some evolve into new species within the new setting over time with the unique dwellers. Either side are affected by the modifications.
One thing you talked about when offering some context for the present was the affect of filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky, notably his assertion that “there isn’t a distinction between goals and actuality.” Are you able to say extra about the place the truth of your works are positioned, and the way goals issue into your making?
To me, what he meant is extra like we live in our personal model of phantasm. As an illustration, I gathered inspiration for this physique of labor from attention-grabbing pictures of pure phenomena, uncommon animals, and funky fruits, recreating them in my very own model of phantasm. Then, I current them in the actual world so we will see them collectively. As soon as it was a subjective and private thought in my head; now it has develop into an goal factor on this planet. So, in that sense, I create a brand new addition to the world by way of phantasm and dwell inside it.
There was a time if you spoke about your work as “cute Surrealism.” I really feel like this description remains to be pretty correct—the figures have these broad eyes and pursed lips, rendered on this hazy delicate colours, however there’s additionally a component of strangeness or shock—I’m excited about the seal on a rock in Awake or the animated watermelon in Watermelon Juice. Had been you pondering explicitly about Surrealist affect when discovering your fashion, or have been these moments of peculiarity pretty pure for you?
I might say it’s extra on the pure facet. I like Surrealist work, however I draw inspiration from many different issues. I contemplate myself extra like an outsider artist these days, because it’s arduous to discover a label that actually matches what I do. Although I’ve an artwork background, my coaching wasn’t in advantageous artwork. My portray methods are principally self-taught, as are my sculpting expertise. I didn’t have a hard and fast agenda to pursue an “’-ism,” and I like my work for what it’s. I don’t wish to be labeled but.
Anomaly is on view at Hashimoto Modern Los Angeles by way of July sixth. Set up and opening evening images by Megan Cerminaro.