Adehla Lee says she wants her work “to give the viewer a sense of visual pleasure through psychological intimidation.” Her wild, candy-colored acrylic paintings reinforce that notion, packing mountains of treats, abstractions, and unexpected iconography onto each canvas. The South Korea-born, New York City-based artist also works in installation and sculpture.
“Adehla’s work reveals an extremely festive and deeply serious emotion at the same time, which can be named as a serious ceremony or magnificent ritual,” a statement says. “Her inspiration comes from Korean Shamanism, reincarnation, the curiosity of after life, the process of organic decomposition, fantasy stories, and the experiences from working with the mentally ill when she was an art therapist.”
See more of her work below.