Exhibition Information

LEE HANNA Inside the walnut
oil on canvas
(Source = gallery hyo)

LEE HANNA stickers on the tree
oil on canvas
(Source = gallery hyo)

			Darkness is vast, its beginning and end unfathomable, yet it becomes palpable through the presence of light.
In this artwork, I've depicted a space where darkness, water, and light converge. Darkness can bring ambiguity and solitude, yet it also offers respite and relief from the glare of light.
At times, hope emerges from darkness as a way to escape, but I find tranquility and serenity within it. I often draw strength from distant memories amid the darkness.
In these pieces, I've painted the night as a place of rest and refuge. Night can cocoon me like a sturdy walnut shell or gently cover me like a cozy blanket. Finally, in the bedroom where stars are afloat, I can embrace peaceful slumber.
Conversely, water symbolizes anxiety in my work. It flows like a torrent, inducing a feeling of suffocating fear. During such moments, I envision "Into the Woods" (a painting of water lilies) and swim through the deep waters towards a distant place filled with refreshing forests and clean air. I wanted to capture the act of enduring everyday unease in a world as fluid and changeable as water.
Amidst water's capriciousness, spaces, moonlight, and starlight stand as constants, protecting us. Within these elements, the animals in the painting find the courage and tranquility to face tomorrow's dawn. Walnut shells and seashells envelop us, offering stability. While water (anxiety) fills the space behind me, looking out into the warm moonlight engenders a quiet hope. Beneath the moonlight, amidst the undulating waves of countless stars, within the bed, I peacefully slumber.
Just as there is no clear demarcation between good and evil, there is also no such thing as absolute sadness or perfect serenity. Both coexist within us, surfacing differently depending on the circumstances.
Hoping warmth and serenity find their way to us all, I've attempted to convey this sentiment.”

- Artist Hanna Lee 

(Source = gallery hyo)