Pora Lee

The Lights in the Dark is a series of coloured pencil and china marker drawings on black paper which come together as a single artwork. The endless variety of positions, angles, colours and shapes of each lantern explores the possibility of uniqueness within what may at first be considered homogeneity. From a spiritual perspective, the light emanating from each lantern could be thought of as a soul, drifting in endless darkness. Perhaps this floating existence does not have to be lonely, though. This project attempts to grapple with ideas of light and dark, and what both might convey in regard to life and existence.

Pora Lee was born in the Republic of South Korea in 1957 and came to Canada in 1971. While she was growing up in Korea, the artist liked to participate in every drawing competition. Her enjoyment of drawing continued when she came to Canada. She has been working as a dentist for twenty years. Pora has started practising painting after giving one small drawing to her employer for his generosity to his staff and his feedback has encouraged her to become an artist. Pora was not confident in her painting abilities, so at the age of 57, Pora went back to art school to improve her skills and learn more. Now, she paints and works part-time in the office, hoping that her works bring positive emotions to the viewers.