Architecture nominee

For modern people thirsting for "breath" and "rest," the essential force they need is healing and relaxation. The relentless push to "move forward" may drive society forward, but it also slowly depletes our sense of self. In a fast-changing world, both body and mind are pressured to keep pace, swept up in an expanding sense of competition. This leads us to erase the spaces of leisure from our lives, creating an anxious existence without room to breathe. I, too, find myself craving healing in the harsh reality of modern life, longing for moments of rest to recover my fading sense of self. Seeking that healing, I embark on a personal journey. Wherever I am—whether it's within architectural spaces or amidst forms of visual beauty—it doesn't need to be a dream destination or an imagined utopia. In my work, I capture the blend of real-life surroundings and clouds, reconstructing them into new compositions. Through these images, I reflect on moments of escape and search for "myself" floating among the clouds—sometimes as the cloud itself.

Lee Hyeok views travel through the lens of healing, transforming her experiences into surreal images. Her journey began with Relaxation, exploring this therapeutic angle, and she held her first solo exhibition at Gaon Gallery in 2023. In 2024, she held another solo show at Ryu Gallery. Lee was nominated for the Architecture category at FAPA 2023 and exhibited in the Photography in Contemporary Art exhibition at the Seoul Arts Center. Her work was also featured in Photodays.paris and the Arles Off Photo Festival in 2024.