Reyna Lee's solo exhibition, 'JOY BEYOND – Life Passes, Joy Blooms,' opened on August 17 at the 1892 Art Center within the Jangyu Wine Culture Museum in Yantai, Shandong Province, China.
The exhibition, running until September 16, features over 20 paintings that highlight Lee's signature vibrant colors and free brushwork.
Lee organized the exhibition into five themes: 'Everyday Life, Where Joy Resides,' 'Moments, When Flowers Bloomed,' 'My Little Treasures,' 'Contemplation, In the Face of Time's Traces,' and 'JOY, Rising Again.' Through the interplay of light and color in ordinary landscapes, the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms, the unique glow of birthstones, and the marks of time etched on old walls, she captures the precious moments of life.
In her works, joy transcends mere emotion. As different colors collide and overlap to create harmony, the strength of existence expands through the accumulation of life's wounds, memories, love, and relationships. The recurring dots in her pieces symbolize an individual's life, emotions, and connections, with the varied colors coming together to create a greater resonance and harmony.
This exhibition is particularly noteworthy as it showcases the sensibility and vitality of contemporary Korean art in a historical space rich with over 130 years of industrial heritage and wine culture.
The Jangyu Wine Culture Museum is recognized as the starting point of China's modern wine industry, housing the 130-year history of the Jangyu brand. The establishment of the Jangyu Wine Company in 1892 by Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Bishi marked the beginning of industrialized wine production in China.
Officially opened in 1992 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Jangyu, this museum is China's first specialized wine museum and a first-class national museum. It has also been designated as a national 4A-level tourist site, acknowledging its historical, cultural, and industrial significance.
The 1892 Art Center, where the exhibition is held, is a cultural and artistic space utilizing a more than 100-year-old Sino-Western architectural structure known to be Zhang Bishi's former residence. It serves as a representative multi-arts space of the Jangyu Wine Culture Museum, blending the charm of its historic red-roofed architecture with wine culture and contemporary art.
Reyna Lee, whose artistic name 'Johee' means 'to create joy,' has expressed the joy, comfort, healing, and vitality she discovers in life through her works.
She majored in Western painting at Ewha Womans University and earned her master's degree from Konkuk University, where she received the President's Award. Lee has won the 2026 Asia Artist Award and the Grand Prize in Western Painting at the 2025 Aju Artist Grand Prix, and has held solo and invited exhibitions in major cities including Seoul, Beijing, Qingdao, and Shanghai.
Currently, she serves as the chairperson of the Aju Global Art Fair, cultural and artistic advisor for Aju Economy's China headquarters, and chairperson of the Aju International Art Exchange Exhibition, actively promoting cultural and artistic exchanges between Korea and China.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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