This painting began at a bus stop, in a moment of waiting. The building and trees seemed to radiate with surreal colour, as if the ordinary scene had shifted into something heightened and unreal. At the time, I was moving through a difficult personal period. I wanted this work to hold that emotional weight and transform it into something luminous. Waiting is never neutral. It carries a tension of opposing feelings — anxiousness and excitement, trust and uncertainty, patience and restlessness. This piece sits within that in-between space, where stillness becomes charged and perception begins to shift.

Cheryl HJ Lee

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Cheryl HJ Lee, a Korean-born artist, shifted her creative journey from Vancouver to Toronto after moving to Canada at 16. Graduating with a Visual Arts major from Emily Carr University in 2017, Cheryl’s diverse artistic repertoire includes self-taught textile art and innovative VR painting. Her thematic exploration revolves around how personal experiences and environments evolve with shifting perspectives over time, intricately connected to her immigrant background. Cheryl invites viewers to interpret her work through their unique experiences, fueled by her curiosity for the varied perspectives her paintings evoke. Cheryl’s art mirrors her journey, seamlessly blending continents, mediums, and a profound quest for self-understanding. As she navigates the canvas of her life, Cheryl's creations promise to be a dynamic narrative, weaving together threads of identity, memory, and the rich tapestry of diverse interpretations.