Hyeran Lee

ABOUT HYERAN LEE

Hyeran Lee’s works are abstract expressionism paintings that often represent an emotional action and anelement of eastern philosophy. She uses visual elements to express the relationships of everyday life.

Hyeran completed her BFA in Graphic Design from Korea and studied at Sheridan College in Canada.

Her work has been showcased in Canada and the US, and Saatchi Art, the world’s largest gallery, for various collections.

Flow, Movement and Mark-making

Part of 58th Correlation, Acrylic on canvas
Part of 58th Correlation, Acrylic on canvas

The quality of the lines are dynamic, filled with emotion and energy, and led by wherever her hand goes. A variety of contrasts are created with these lines: contrast of colour, space, thickness of lines, and hard and soft edges of lines. Depending on the nature of this first or couple brushstrokes, additional layers of brushstrokes are added to balance all these different contrasts. All these different methods are used to create paintings that are carefully thought-out, but still fluid in energy.

Limited palette, restrained brush stroke and white space

Tenth Correlation, Acrylic on canvas, 30x30in
Tenth Correlation, Acrylic on canvas, 30x30in
Seventeenth Correlation, Acrylic on canvas, 30x30in
Seventeenth Correlation, Acrylic on canvas, 30x30in

Most of her works start off with a white canvas. She often uses a scraper to add additional texture. Colours are not mixed on a palette and used straight from the paint tube. The paint from the tube is often mixed with other colours once they are on the canvas. A limited colour scheme is used to further emphasize the different elements of contrast.

Diptych and Triptych

Coexistence 16, diptych, Acrylic on canvas, 40x60 in
Coexistence 16, diptych, Acrylic on canvas, 40x60 in

Hyeran is interested in working with diptychs and triptychs. Each painting works individually, and as a polyptych, a stronger and more powerful image is created. In Eastern art, the same principle for polyptychs is used.

Korean - Ten-panel Folding Screen with Scenes of Filial Piety, Section D - Walters
Korean - Ten-panel Folding Screen with Scenes of Filial Piety, Section D - Walters

She is a Risk-Taker

Like her inspirations, Joan Mitchelle, Willem de Kooning, and Richard Diebenkorn, she likes working with new ways, working differently from traditional ways of painting and breaking rules. Many of her paintings break the traditional rule of having the point of interest in the center of the canvas and instead incorporates those points of interests in the edges of the canvas. Hyeran is an explorer, a challenger and a risk-taker.