Jieun Lee

I observe the visible messages of my contemporaries—such as their facial expressions and gestures—and imagine their invisible inner worlds. Through the lens of my camera, I capture subjects who could have been overlooked. 

Working with black-and-white photographs, I aim to unravel the core of the visual impressions and emotions conveyed by the subjects, particularly in discerning the essence of human figures and pushing further towards simplification. To achieve this, I experimented with laser cutting. The monochrome silhouettes, which underwent the process of simplification, erased the uniqueness and specificity of the individual and became anonymous and universal.

In the graduate degree show, my work was installed on the window so that viewers could see not only the artwork itself but also the people passing by outside. This created an interaction between the figures in the artwork and the passersby, establishing a connection between them. This approach aimed to allow the artwork to engage with the surrounding environment and the people within it.

I sense a peculiar tension and intense survival instinct within the still silence of the figures. The silhouette I study represents an existential entity preparing to confront the ensuing chaos in the transitional realm between one confusion and the next. It encapsulates a moment of suspended immersion, contemplation and anticipation. My work seeks not to explore a specific individual but rather my own image, the image of our contemporaries, and the existential representation of humanity.