Jee Young Lee: Resurrection

For each self-portrait in her series “Daze: Stage of Mind,” the Korean artist Jee Young Lee created an elaborate installation in her studio, in Seoul. The scenes were constructed from everyday materials—plywood, paper cups, straws—and Lee decorated each handmade prop herself. The constructed landscapes are her interpretations of personal experiences, dreams, and Korean folk tales.

In the photograph titled “Resurrection,” Lee references the fable of Shimcheongin, about a girl who throws herself into the sea and comes back to life inside a blooming lotus. “I wanted to portray rebirth in my photo, which is why I appear inside a lotus,” Lee said. “It shows how one can achieve new birth by overcoming negativity. I wanted to empower my spirit and rise above my emotions through this piece.”

Lee is represented by Opiom Gallery, in Opio, France. She will have a one-week pop-up solo show in New York, in collaboration with the fashion line Alice + Olivia, on July 21-27.

All photographs by Jee Young Lee