Artist Biography 

Paul Ji Hoon Lee began painting in 2018 at the age of 47 after a long career in technology, including co-founding the influential film review website Rotten Tomatoes. Working primarily in oils and mixed media, he creates works that explore memory, nature, and humanity’s paradoxical relationship with the world around us. From impressionistic blossoms rendered in vibrant color to haunting abstractions layered with texture, his art invites viewers to pause and reflect. His work has been featured in the SKY exhibition at San Francisco’s The Drawing Room gallery, Era Contemporary’s Gardens of Enchantment, and the 39th Annual Emeryville Art Exhibition. Follow him on Instagram @paul.jh.lee or at pauljihoonlee.art.

Artist Statement 

This water + microplastics series reflects on the pervasive presence of microplastic pollution. It began with a disquieting experience in the Berkeley Hills during the pandemic, when the artist witnessed visitors tossing plastic containers and bottles down a hillside even as they admired the sunset.

Each work begins with a toner-based print of a travel photograph of natural beauty transferred onto aluminum with gel medium, imparting a subtly distressed character and sheen to the image. The image plate is then sealed beneath layers of resin infused with pulverized plastic waste collected from the Berkeley Hills. From a distance, the plastic particles sparkle; up close, the unsettling source of the glitter is revealed.

The series captures a stark contradiction: humanity’s ability to revere nature while casually contributing to ecological degradation, confronting viewers with their place in this paradox.