Vertical Passage (8×8 inches) is part of Soran Lee’s Layers of Neigbors series. Artist: Soran Lee
Soran Lee’s journey shows how embracing a new community gave her confidence.
Soran Lee moved from Seoul, South Korea, to Woodbury about a year ago, seeking something more than a change of scenery. She chose Minnesota because of how her sister described its strong sense of community, educational opportunities and natural beauty.
After arriving in Minnesota, Lee enrolled in English classes through South Washington County Community Education. Instructors and staff reassured Lee and inspired her to publicly share her artwork for the first time. “Their encouragement played an important role in helping me see myself not only as a designer, but also as an artist,” she says.
Lee credits her father, an architect and designer, with inspiring her creative career from an early age. “As a designer, I was surrounded by architecture, culture, technology and emerging trends,” she says about growing up in Seoul. “There was always something new to discover.”
As Lee entered her 40s, however, her perspective began to change. “I found myself becoming increasingly interested in nature, relationships, balance and the passage of time,” she says. “That shift has influenced both my personal life and my artwork.”
Winter in Minnesota (6×9 inches) showcases the stillness of winter.
Lee studied industrial design in Seoul and interior design in Italy before building a career designing branded environments, community spaces and workplaces. She later founded Quad Design before joining
Kakao, one of South Korea’s leading digital platform companies, to help build its spatial design organization. “What fascinated me most was not simply the physical design itself, but the experiences that happen within a space,” she says. “People may forget specific details, but they often remember how a place made them feel.”
Although Lee initially pursued design rather than fine art, creativity remained central throughout her career. After moving to Minnesota, her oldest sister, who teaches traditional Korean painting in the local Korean community, helped reintroduce her to art. “What started as a way to reconnect with creativity gradually became a new chapter in my life,” she says.
Today, Lee creates drawings, mixed-media works and paintings, exploring identity, memory, personal experience and relationships. Much of her inspiration comes from the connections between people, places and nature; although her work initially focused on Minnesota’s landscapes, it evolved into explorations of belonging and Korean traditions.
Behind the Veil (8.5×11 inches) represents courage, transition and uncertainty. It is one of Soran Lee’s personal favorites in her portfolio.
One of Lee’s favorite works is Behind the Veil, a piece she says represents courage, transition and uncertainty. “For me, the veil symbolizes the future—something we cannot see clearly, yet something that invites us forward,” she says. The artwork reflects many of the major decisions in her life, including studying abroad, launching a business, moving to Minnesota and beginning a new career as an artist. “Every meaningful change brings both excitement and fear,” she says. “Behind the Veil captures those emotions.”
Lee cites Edward Hopper and David Hockney among her artistic influences for their ability to capture atmosphere, curiosity and emotion; she finds inspiration outside the studio through hiking and being outdoors. While living in Seoul, she completed the Bulsusadobuk Challenge, a continuous trek across five mountain peaks surrounding the city that takes nearly 20 hours to finish. “Whether I am designing a space, setting a table, hosting friends, hiking a mountain trail or creating artwork, I am ultimately interested in creating moments that bring people together and become lasting memories,” Lee says.
Lee also credits her family with quietly shaping every stage of her journey. “My father inspired me to become a designer. My sister helped me rediscover art. My children inspired me to begin a new life in Minnesota,” she says. “I still consider myself to be at the beginning of a new chapter as an artist. I do not know exactly what lies behind the veil, but I have learned that growth often begins when we are willing to step toward the unknown.”
Soran Lee
Instagram: @art_soran
