ISLAMABAD: With a message of ‘going back to nature’ hidden in her paintings, the artist reunites different elements of nature scarcely found in city life. Her vibrant and colourful collection resonate life, colour and the harmony of wildlife and greenery. Accentuating her work is the touch of Korean ancestry that echoes throughout her collection.
The Korean Ambassador opened the show here at Khaas Art Gallery on Tuesday, and was thoroughly mesmerized by the work being presented by his native artist. Giving the feel of being at home away from home was overwhelming for the Korean community.
The artist presides in a quiet village living a life of solitude. “If we can be happy and enjoy ourselves alone it gives us the power to live in harmony with others. These days everyone is leading a chaotic life, there is a strong sense of tension amongst people”, says Jae Lee. Through her work she wants city people to reconnect with nature and realize the truth in Jean Jacques Rousseau’s words of ‘going back to nature’.
With the belief that living far away from nature would create a sense of emptiness and dryness in life and furthermore bring crisis in our lives, the artist takes inspiration from her unkempt forest-like garden.
The joy of living alone and this feeling of tranquillity translate into her paintings and she communicates with others through her work. Her ‘Sacred Forest’ collection captures the fragrance of freshly cut herbs and brings it to life in her city environment, which makes the viewer feel as if they were standing and breathing in the forest. Temriz Khalid, a housewife, said, “The collection is very colourful and original and has a very different flavour to it than what we see around here. It’s very comforting and therefore should be placed in a casual setting so the buyer can feel the serenity of the art work in their daily life.”
Creating images using mixed media on canvas, the artist shows nature changing form. Unlike much that surrounds us, nature is cyclical, rather than having a specific beginning and an end the entities morph and change from one form to the other. Capturing this cycle has been the artists’ main concern and aim. “The trees and the flowers have their own characters, accordingly they appear with different hues and fragrances after making their presence felt” , said Jae Lee while describing her work.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2010.
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