Page 60 - Beauty Prime Magazine

T
“
Drawing, painting and
sculpting makes me re-
member what I enjoyed,
when I felt a strong emo-
tion, which lets me slow
down in my present life.”
JUNGMIN
LEE
Art & Culture
60 II BEAUTY PRIME
Dreams and
Found Materials
Discovering the
imaginative
process behind
Lee’s unique,
tactile creations
Jungmin Lee’s art, inspired by childhood, dreams, and cultural herita-
ge, blends personal and collective memory through mixed media, creating
intimate, miniature worlds that celebrate family, tradition, and the timeless
warmth of nostalgia.
BY NOAH DAVIS WOWWART
world rich with nostalgia, dreams,
Jungmin Lee’s art transports us to a
and the tactile warmth of memory.
This talented South Korean artist
and designer, a graduate with
distinction from the ArtCenter College of
Design, blends storytelling with a love for
found and mixed media to create intricate,
evocative pieces. Her works invite viewers
into intimate moments of family gatherings,
childhood explorations, and even dream-
scapes—transforming everyday materials
into portals to the past. Lee’s creativity is
steeped in the heritage of her culture, tracing
her roots through memories of her grandpar-
ents’ home, traditional rituals, and cherished
heirlooms, reimagined into vivid visual
narratives.
Throughout her work, Lee demonstrates a
profound ability to weave together personal
and collective memory. Her piece Cabinet,
a layered collage of stamps, stickers, and
pages from her mother’s notebooks, power-
fully bridges her own life and history with
a broader cultural experience. With each
brushstroke and piece of found material, she
crafts a miniature world where fragments
of her heritage live on. It is through these
meticulously crafted “miniatures” that Lee
explores themes of belonging, identity, and
emotional resilience. In this interview, we
delve into the inspirations, creative process,
and unique perspectives that make Jungmin
Lee’s art both intensely personal and univer-
sally resonant.
Can you describe how your childhood experiences
in South Korea influence your artistic themes and
subjects?
When I was young, my family liked to go