Hanna Lee's painting began with light in the dark. It was a ray of light that helped her escape the night when she couldn't move even an inch in her sadness. The moment she saw a small light, she was finally able to move, and the belief that she could change became a strong hope. Hanna paints this hope. Stars, moon, books, and flowers in the painting are the main metaphors of hope. In particular, flowers appear in all of the new works in this exhibition, and she says, “Flowers constantly repeat the change of being curled up as a bud, then blooming, and then condensing into a fruit. This is very similar to our lives. It may seem like a cycle of repetition, but plants grow and lead to another life that way, making the world beautiful. Flowers require rest and stability. They need learning and effort, and they also need support from someone.” In other words, she talks about change as hope and further realization of life through flowers.
For Hanna, hope is a process. If everything is clear and a dazzlingly bright destination exists somewhere, her hope is a steady step toward that place. It is comfort and encouragement for that step. It is a small candle that turns a black darkness into a vague darkness. It is warm calmness that can never be given by the hot and clear sun that beats down in the middle of the day. All the footsteps that have stepped on the darkness bloom into soft light and small flowers in the painting. It's vague, but quiet and deep. This is why Hanna's paintings are warm.