Ji Young Lee
Tributary #2, 2026
mixed media
19 ¾ x 24 ½ inches
$1,000
C-lective Curator’s Cut:
In Tributary #2, Ji continues her exploration of movement, connection, and continual renewal through a richly layered composition alive with color and rhythm. Inspired by the winding waterways that weave through our landscapes, vibrant passages of turquoise, coral, green, and neon pink intersect in a dynamic network of playful forms, suggesting the countless moments where paths cross and new possibilities emerge. A touch more intricate and energetic than its companion, the work reflects the beauty of complexity. It speaks to the idea that every experience, relationship, and journey adds depth to the whole. Joyful yet contemplative, Tributary #2 celebrates the ever-evolving currents that shape both nature and our shared human experience.
Ji Young Lee
We Love Ji. She is a Seoul-born multidisciplinary artist and author based in San Francisco, CA. Her work explores transformation, memory, migration, and the relationship between the human body and the natural world through abstract painting, drawing, printmaking, and narrative storytelling, often focusing on her coming-of-age journey in South Korea. Through both abstraction and narrative, her work seeks to bridge personal memory, cultural heritage, and universal experiences of change and belonging.
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Bachelor of Economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
Trained at the Atelier School of Classical Realism in Oakland, CA
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Current Artist-in-Residence at ARTogether (2026–2027)
Studio Artist Resident at Root Division (2024–2026)
"Rather than imposing an image, I allow it to reveal itself over time. The process becomes an archaeology of light — an ongoing cycle of dissolution, negotiation, and transformation."
Ji has a daily ritual: entering the cold waters of the San Francisco Bay before dawn and emerging with the sunrise. That practice of dissolution and return has become the animating force of her work, translating the physical sensation of water into layered, luminous paintings that blur the boundaries between self and environment, body and landscape. Drawing on years of open water swimming and a deeply intuitive studio process, she approaches the canvas the way she moves through water — adding, erasing, and resurfacing.
Interviews in progress, please check back soon!