Sonahn Lee (b.1996) explores, through painting, the differences in perception shaped by individual ways of seeing and the uncertain sensations that arise from them. She treats scenes recorded on digital screens—such as photographs, films, and internet images—as evidence, translating them into painting through the layers of her own gaze and memory. In this process, forms gradually blur, are partially omitted, or overlap as a result of distortion and forgetting. The resulting surface is not a clear representation, but another scene formed through the overlap of material layers and the act of seeing. These painterly scenes reveal how each viewer perceives differently, while probing the point at which what ultimately escapes capture opens onto other possibilities.

Can you tell us about your background and how you started your artistic journey?

Rather than simply reproducing images, I have been more interested in the way a scene is perceived and translated into painting. I tend to stay with the question of how a scene is remembered and gradually changes over time. I repeatedly collect and observe fragments such as other people’s words, expressions, atmospheres, web images, and scenes from films. There are moments when scenes I actually witnessed overlap with intentionally edited images. I am especially drawn to blurred or failed photographs, and to moments that resist being fixed clearly. When translated into painting, differences inevitably emerge from the original image, and my work continues from the gaps created through that distance.

What are the main themes or concepts you explore in your work?

My work revolves around the relationship between gaze, memory, and recorded images. I consider digital images as a form of evidence. Memories recalled through those images are continuously transformed and reconstructed. In that process, scenes that were
previously unnoticed begin to emerge, generating different ways of seeing. I am interested in scenes that cannot be fixed into a single interpretation.

What interests you about moments when perception feels uncertain or unstable?

I once made paintings based on side and rear-view mirrors. The more persistently I tried to observe the subject beyond the mirror, the more difficult it became to grasp clearly. Unnecessary surrounding information is recognized immediately, while the actual subject I try
to focus on remains ambiguous. Driving at night reveals this condition more distinctly. While looking ahead, I simultaneously have to check the side and rear-view mirrors, constantly controlling multiple directions of attention at once. In strongly contrasted nighttime
environments, it becomes difficult to accurately recognize the state of the subject, and those unrecognizable moments tend to attract my gaze even more. Rather than focusing on a single subject, I am interested in conditions where multiple gazes operate simultaneously. I continue trying to hold onto scenes that cannot be easily understood.

What is your creative process like? Do you follow a routine or work spontaneously?

In the process of looking through recorded images, I select repetitive compositions and scenes that feel strangely familiar. These images function as evidence, evoking memories while overlapping with other scenes. I work without deciding on a fixed conclusion in advance, continuously observing the differences between images and painting. Digital images deliver information immediately, whereas painting delays that information and creates layers. In this process, certain elements disappear while others remain emphasized, eventually becoming another scene altogether. Even the same color behaves differently depending on the physical condition of the surface, so I adjust the painting continuously as I work.

How do your personal experiences and identity influence your art?

My work begins from personal emotions, though I try to observe outwardly visible scenes in a restrained and detached way. Emotional distance within close relationships forms an important foundation for the work. On the surface, this appears less as direct emotion and more as intervals, gaps, and distance within the image. Although the work originates from my own gaze, I intentionally maintain distance, because even the same scene is perceived differently by each person depending on time and perspective. I paint not to complete a scene, but to preserve the distance that exists within it.

What projects are you currently working on, and what can we expect from you in the
future?

Recently, I have been working on scenes from wedding ceremonies. Within the ritual itself, scenes are repeated in almost identical ways. They appear as perfect images, yet beneath them exist anxiety and confusion at the same time. Expressions and atmospheres never completely align. From the perspective of a viewer, these fleeting moments quickly disappear from memory, only to be recalled again through other wedding scenes. Elements such as dresses, veils, and rings seem less like expressions of individuality and more like devices that conceal it. From a distance, the image appears unified, but up close, incompatible elements overlap with one another. I divide these scenes into large and small canvases, constructing fragmented landscapes and images with a sense of distance, continuing to build surfaces where emotional unevenness remains visible.

Text and photo courtesy of Sonahn Lee

Website: https://pipegallery.com/artists/sonahn-lee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonahnlee/