Whitestone Gallery Seoul is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Lee Jaehyun, whose paintings capture the essence of memory through rich matière and sculptural textures. Lee’s work functions as a visual diary, bridging the past and present while preserving fragments of personal history. People and objects that have been part of his life for years are reimagined through bold, textured brushstrokes, creating a landscape that reflects his emotions. His works often reflect a sense of absence and emotional void from childhood—seen in series like Obsession, where the arrangement of dolls and toys reveals an unconscious attachment and plays a key role in shaping his visual language.

Through bold, textured brushstrokes, Lee reimagines the people and objects that have shaped his life, creating an emotional landscape of memories. While he has long layered memories with present experiences, his latest paintings take it a step further, incorporating elements of possibility and imagination for the future. In Ten Years, a work in which he envisions the lives of ordinary people a decade from now, the artist describes the process as “a moment when I found a reason to move forward with excitement.” He expresses a hopeful excitement for life yet to unfold, offering an optimistic perspective on the unknown. His latest paintings feature richer, more dynamic backgrounds, moving beyond simple recollections to explore deeper emotions and narratives. This shift reflects his intent to move beyond personal memory and evoke emotions that resonate universally. The expanded color palette adds depth to the emotional tone, while his compositions feel more refined and intentional. These changes reflect Lee’s ongoing exploration and dedication to evolving his artistic process.

Lee Jaehyun explores the meaning of healing and renewal by depicting scenes that transcend memory and imagine the future. His work, once rooted in memories of the past, now embraces hope and the moments of everyday life, inviting viewers to reflect on the meaning of existence and dream of a day that has yet to come.