****THEO is pleased to present Lee Hanbin's solo exhibition Islet at LAB201 from 11 November to 1 December 2023.

'Islet', the theme of this exhibition, has a dictionary meaning of small islands, but in maritime terms, it also refers to a small island that can appear on the surface or disappear under water depending on the difference between the tides. It is a space that changes its form depending on the time and point of view, and it is unclear whether it even exists, stimulating mystery and curiosity at first, but eventually leaving only emptiness, emptiness and longing.

Lee imagines a painting on a single background that becomes an islet. Her work presents a seemingly cute images and innocent colours, with troubling situations hidden beneath, giving the viewer a momentary laugh. However, the deeper you look into her work, the more you feel that this laughter is slowly losing its light and turning into an empty glow, like a glow-in-the-dark star on the ceiling. Just as an islet appears on the surface of the water on a sunny day and then slowly disappears under the water, the works become a combination of nostalgia and emptiness, leaving only an afterimage.

The artist explores how we perceive and visualise the invisible connections that exist between objects that do not intersect on the surface. By deconstructing and reassembling the sensory experiences we encounter in our daily lives as art materials, Lee finds hidden connections between abstract and unknown works. In Islet, Lee's first solo exhibition, she aims to create a space where viewers can find new connections between each of her works, which were materialised through a process of chance and choice, within the context of the islet that forms the context of her work.

The islet exist and disappear independently, leaving them as isolated ghost islands. However, through the connections that the viewer will discover, the piece will lead to one island, and the islands that fail to do so will be carried away in an approaching cart that makes a loud noise and disappears, leaving behind an afterimage.

Press release courtesy LAB201.