JAEHEE YOO │ MY MEMORY DIARY: LOVER

Jaehee Yoo, a Seoul-based artist, was born in Seoul, South Korea.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of Art at Ewha Womans University, where she majored in traditional Korean painting and art history. Yoo’s work explores the relationship between her personal stories and traditional Korean women’s culture. Her main mediums include Indian ink, silk, and Hanji, a traditional Korean paper.

Yoo questions how tradition and personal experience influence modernity and identity, believing images can reveal a person’s inner self. She is particularly interested in using bamboo pens, Indian ink, and silk to express personal narratives. Her artwork reveals metaphorical images through delicate lines that symbolize her essence as an artist.

“In the piece ‘Approaching,’ the image of lovers who dream of meeting again after parting is portrayed. The bright spring day of parting,  where the dandelion seeds shine in golden light, reminds us that even after a sad parting, spring remains beautiful. The golden dandelion seed symbolizes the sorrow of ephemeral love.”

My artwork is a diary—a deeply personal record of my life and memories.
I believe that the most subjective experiences can often convey the most objective truths.
I create my art from a unique vantage point, striving to see the world from different perspectives. I aim to open viewers’ eyes and present them with fresh insights.

The element that inspires me the most is the line. My favorite art-making tools are a bamboo pen, Indian ink, and silk. I believe that an image can reveal a person’s true inner self, and I aim to express personal narratives through my work using these materials. The delicate lines I draw create metaphorical images that represent my essence.

“In the work  ‘Missing You,’ the Man standing in front of his ex-lover’s house looks up at her window, hoping she will return. It recreates the story of lovers who wish to reunite but cannot meet. “

The artwork creation process is quite simple. My working method is spontaneous, momentary, and abstract. I usually meditate before beginning a project to quiet my mind. Then, I gaze at the blank canvas, focusing on accepting it as it is.
The motifs of my artistic creations stem from daily life in the city. Moments I’ve experienced in Seoul and my personal stories serve as the central themes of my work. My inspiration arises from places filled with personal memories.

My works encapsulate memories tied to specific individuals, making my series a diary of experiences.
I cherish moments spent with my cat, watching the bamboo forest sway in the wind at dawn, and enjoying time with my lover along the Han River in late autumn. These moments inspire me, and I hope my personal memories resonate with viewers and remind them of their own.”
– Jaehee YOO

JAEHEE YOO

Jaehee Yoo is a unique painter who lives in the vibrant city of Seoul, South Korea. Born in 1983, she embarked on her artistic journey over fifteen years ago, immersing herself in the rich tapestry of art.
She pursued her education at the prestigious Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Korean Painting and a Master’s degree in Oriental Art History. During her studies, she focused on traditional Korean painting, oriental painting, and art history, gaining a deep understanding of her cultural heritage.

Yoo has exhibited at international art fairs, including ArtExpo New York 2025, AGI Fine Art, Spectrum & Red Dot Miami in 2024, Artavita in Miami in 2024, and The Other Art Fair conducted by Saatchi Art in London both in 2023 and 2022.
Over the years, she has had over ten solo exhibitions, the latest of which, ‘My Secret Diary,’ was showcased in 2024 at the Gallery Harang in Seoul, South Korea.

Yoo’s artistic practice intricately weaves traditional techniques and materials, primarily focusing on Korean ink, luxurious silk, delicate conventional Korean paper, and Hanji, a traditional Korean handmade paper known for its durability and unique texture.
Through her art, Yoo explores the delicate interplay between Korean tradition and contemporary influences. She explores the potential of traditional materials and techniques, seeking to infuse them with a distinctive identity. Taking inspiration from the natural world, she incorporates native Korean dyes and employs ancient dyeing techniques on both paper and silk, weaving stories of her culture into her creations. Her ultimate aspiration is to discover and cultivate her unique identity as a contemporary Korean painter.

Jaehee Yoo’s abstract landscape paintings draw inspiration from the urban terrain of Seoul, transformed through her artistic lens. Her motifs often evoke a lyrical and dreamlike quality, where the profound sense of solitude and the emotions that arise in distant, remote places serve as the genesis of her work.
Through her creations, she aspires to evoke feelings of comfort, resonance, and healing within her viewers, offering them a moment of reprieve from the chaotic world outside.
Each piece aims to foster a deep sense of identification, inviting the audience to connect with their own emotions and experiences through the visual narrative she provides.

See the full article in Art Market Magazine Edition #104