Une Oak Lee-Johnson

My paintings explore the intersection of memory, emotion, nature, and mathematics. Working primarily in abstraction, I create images that invite interpretation rather than prescribe meaning. I believe that the artist and the viewer collaborate in creating an artwork's significance; each person brings unique experiences, emotions, and perspectives to the painting, resulting in a different journey through the work.

Fractals play a central role in my artistic language. Found both in mathematics and throughout nature, in trees, ferns, drying mud, weathered rock formations, rivers, and ocean waves, these repeating patterns provide a bridge between the visible world and the hidden structures that shape it. I am fascinated by the way complexity emerges from simple forms and how natural processes create beauty through growth, decay, and transformation.

My work is deeply influenced by my personal history. Born and raised in South Korea during the difficult years following the Korean War and overcoming the challenges of a physical disability, I often draw upon memories, emotions, and life experiences as sources of inspiration. Rather than illustrating events directly, I translate them into abstract forms, allowing viewers the freedom to di...

My artistic education spans South Korea, France, and the United States, reflecting the international perspective that informs my work today.

B.F.A., Parsons School of Design, New York, USA

Art Students League of New York, New York, USA

L'Académie Charpentier, Paris, France
- Major: Interior Architecture

Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
-Major: German Language and Literature

Selected Exhibitions

2019 – Centro del Arte Ángel "Lito" Peña Plaza, Puerto Rico

2019 – Centro de Bellas Artes, Puerto Rico

2017 – Pop-Up Exhibition, Dominican Republic

2014 – Wide Open Exhibition, Brooklyn, NY

2013 – National Association of Women Artists Exhibition, New York, NY

2012 – Brick Lane Gallery, London, UK

2010 – RIVAA Gallery, Roosevelt Island, NY

2007 – Grant Winners Exhibition, Art Students League of New York, New York, NY