‘‘In the heavy snow, I tried to imagine and express the heart of a traveller who leaves his heart behind.’’
—Jung Lee
Korean artist Jung Lee (b.1972) explores the power of words through her personified, text-based neon installations set in natural landscapes. Her image-making process starts with words or phrases that are common yet thought-provoking; she then imagines an unfamiliar location in which to place them. ‘Neon settled on snow-covered ground, or floating on top of the ocean are realistically impossible scenes,’ Lee notes, ‘but they arouse the audience’s stored memories or imagined thoughts.’ For the artist, her chosen word or phrase is the protagonist who has travelled to a deserted, unknown place. In the present work, the neon word ‘Heart’ illuminates the forest edge, bathing the snowy landscape in a soft, pink light. This dreamy yet lonely setting invites the viewer to reflect on the reverberations that ‘Heart’ evokes. Based in Seoul, Jung Lee has exhibited widely, including at the Seoul Museum of Art, and her work resides in the prestigious Burger Collection, Hong Kong. Notable collaborations include the album cover for Maroon 5’s V in 2014 and a neon installation for Saint Laurent in 2021.