Lee Jiyen’s work unfolds at the intersection of science, philosophical reflection, and sensory perception. The work group RGB exemplifies this approach: they are created using photonic crystal dispersion, a material originally developed for anti-counterfeiting. Its nanoscale particles reflect specific wavelengths of light, producing color not through pigment but through structural interaction—refraction and interference. Color thus appears as a phenomenon, dependent on light, space, and the act of observation.
Lee applies the dispersion between acrylic plates, allowing pressure and fluid movement to generate unpredictable forms. The process captures a moment in which intention and chance converge. What begins as a directional gesture becomes a surface shaped by the material’s flow. Fixed through UV curing, the image retains this transient state—both controlled and contingent.
A central element is the interplay of light and shadow: a gap behind the panel allows light to pass through the material, casting colored shadows that merge with the visible image. This creates a dual composition—one of light, one of shadow—evoking structures of growth, transformation, and interconnection. As the artist herself asks: “Can this still be called a painting?” – for the work is less a depiction and more a moment in which light, material, and shadow converge.
Rather than depicting phenomena, Lee makes their conditions visible. Her works shift with changing light and perspective, inviting reflection on the relationship between microscopic detail and larger systems. In this sense, RGB does not simply refer to a color model, but to the way the world reveals itself through perception—fluid, relational, and continuously in formation.
Furthering her exploration, the Stain-Rainbow Forest series treats light as a relational phenomenon rather than an isolated effect. Drawing on quantum physics and Buddhist thought, Lee shows how perception actively shapes reality, with color spectra shifting according to the observer and the surrounding environment. Using nano-pattern replication and 3D printing, she creates ephemeral, spatial structures that evolve through interaction, challenging the notion of sculpture as fixed. In this way, the rainbow becomes not only a visual event but a metaphor for interdependence: a moment that exists only through connection.
In parallel, the Seed series explores microcosmic beginnings through small, modular sculptures that act as proto-forms of larger systems. Often movable and reconfigurable, these works highlight potentiality and transformation. Like her rainbow installations, the Seeds emphasize relationality, showing that even the smallest unit gains meaning only through its connections with environment and observer.