Young Joo Lee

Lives and works in Paris, France

Artist statement

My practice emerges from the intersection of personal history and collective memory, weaving together the political, social, and historical dimensions of lived experience. Through painting, drawing, performance, sculpture, and digital media, I create works that are intentionally heterogeneous—evolving organically with time, place, and available materials. Central to my work is an investigation of shifting notions of “self” and “the other” as they manifest across history, literature, scientific research, popular media, and my own cross-cultural existence. Growing up in South Korea—a nation shaped by colonial legacies and Cold War divisions—I encountered “the other” as both historical force and intimate reality. As a woman navigating life across multiple countries, I have confronted racial discrimination, structural inequities, and the ideological frameworks that govern perceptions of unfamiliar identities. These experiences have heightened my attention to narratives that are silenced, marginalized, or entirely overlooked. My methodology involves translating research and lived experience into speculative worlds that question dominant narratives. Drawing from science fiction, mythology, and popular culture, I construct fictional realms that explore humanity’s darkest fears alongside its hopeful projections—particularly those that challenge patriarchal modernity. Recent projects have reframed my experience of motherhood as a lens for recovering forgotten histories and...

Artwork