South Korean Jinsil Lee has an incredible eye for photographic collage and using emotive black and white photography. I love how her images have a beautiful yet saddened quality to them.
Lee has been painting and drawing since she was young and didn’t have an affinity for art with the traditional tools such as painting and watercolours. It wasn’t until she was older that she started taking art seriously and using it as a tool to communicate.
“I started art from the lack of communication. I have never met anyone who gets me. I knew that what i think was really not normal since i was very young. I never spoke about what I dream because i really hate to stand out. But as a human i have desire to talk to other people and communicate. But I’m really not good with words or speaking my mind. I had to find a way to express and get my emotions out of me.”
Lee has found it hard to express herself with words, sometimes words aren’t don’t express feelings as well as images can. Lee began with painting but saw that as limiting, it was around about this time that fashion and photography became her passion.
“i never really liked photography until i found fine art and fashion photography. they were just so beautiful. i liked the eyes of the models. i sometimes see myself in their eyes and it makes me feel something like we are exchanging the same feelings. i think this is why I’m kind of obsessed with eyes.”
Here is the rest of her description of her work. Her explanation of her work is incredibly honest and gives a great insight into her work;
I started taking self portraits because I love photos that have models. I love their expression. I try to get feelings out and express them with my face. I want to be able to shoot someone who has the exact expression I like but haven’t found one yet. thats why I started being the model myself.
I also tend to use a lot of flowers. I think I’m like a man. I’m not really into girly stuff and I don’t think i feel the same things as other girls. But flowers are more of a symbol of femininity than masculinity. And i think this is where my femininity comes out. to me, images of flowers are delicate and vulnerable. they are easily ruined. i think flowers represent part of my mind that is vulnerable. i also just like the beauty of flowers.
I’m mostly inspired by my inner self. I imagine all the time. i sometimes think i’m made of my imaginations. When i watch movie i imagine myself being in that situation. its the same with books pictures music. imagining is really a big part of my life. I may do school works and meet people but none of them mean anything to me. I sometimes think that the reality is not real and my imaginations are.
I am mostly influenced by what i felt and what i feel. And most of those feelings are related to my unordinary feelings i felt in my past. i have some things that happened to me and those memories are still within me. i have a lot of feelings like anger, rage, sadness. i think these feelings are one of the important elements of my art.
i am also very inspired by so many people. i am inspired by famous artists like Alexander McQueen, rei kawakubo, Tim walker and just average people from life. like when i go to the street market i can see some people with lovely expression.
i think i speak through art. i have never felt the way i feel about art with anyone or anything else. i have never felt connected so deeply.
i think for some people it is easy to be who they are but for me I think its going to take a really long time to become who i am. I am just starting to respect and admit myself. Art has been the best way for me to see myself and realize unconscious mind. its the only thing that sets me free.
