Seahyun LEE’s utopia is one conceived in a direct, but remarkably sophisticated manner.  He is constantly aware of the fact that utopia is never more than several paces from dystopia, and that desire is chiefly fuelled by absence and impossibility.  What is remarkable is the paintings’ ability to nonetheless produce such affect of dread and longing; while Lee may understand the mechanics of the desire that fuels his work, he remains more than capable of succumbing to their fascination.  The result is keenly self-aware work that never lapses into irony or cynicism - and as such never loses its magic.

Written by Hyeri Cho​

Korean Artist Project

www.koreanartistproject.com