Art & Life with Siwoo Lee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Siwoo Lee.

Siwoo, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’m a 23-year-old storyteller that solves unique problems through creative content. Let me give you some context to my life; I was originally born in Incheon, South Korea and migrated to the US at the age of seven with my parents and two older sisters. I didn’t go to college, but rather I spent most of my time and money traveling wherever I could and documented my experiences and shared them on Instagram. Something about being able to share a new feeling or an idea through video was really exciting for me. I was inspired through the constant efforts of completing video after video and what I had unintentionally dedicated so many hours to turned out to be a universal skill I could apply to help voice anyone’s unique story. And ever since acknowledging the true potential of being able to build my life around a passion, I’ve never looked back. From getting my first camera from the money I made flipping sneakers, to being able to be hired to travel across the country, I’m forever grateful.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
When I’m not working with brands or businesses, I find myself creating cinematic videos to mimic how I’m feeling; I find it very therapeutic. The reason why it’s cathartic is that I’m able to express myself fully and vulnerable and I can then put that out into the world for interpretation. What I’m going through is my own, but it can resonate with others, as well.

I love to make videos that blend fantasy and reality. I believe it is because I watched a solid amount of Studio Ghibli growing up. I use reality “markers”: people, location, even minute details that may be overlooked in real life. Then, I complicate that by utilizing other tools— music, motion, other abstract tools such as time warping— to provide a dream-like quality that makes the viewer believe it could be real. To tie both of these two worlds together (the real and the dreamy) in one film, I use specific color tones and stationary to transitionary movement to make it understandable.

The reason I find solace in creating these videos is that they provide an outlet for expressing my thoughts and emotions, but what I want for viewers to do with my videos is to attach their own meaning to them. I want my art to be transcendent.

Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
I think it’s only hard if you make it hard for yourself. For me, I genuinely enjoy the process of getting to where I want to be and because I find enjoyment in that, I see it more as a fun challenge. A specific challenge that I see in today’s age is being motivated by validation; aka modern poison. I think many artists struggle because they are afraid of judgment, and are fixated on the wrong things. We are one, afraid to be our true selves to the public, and two, people are eager for follows and likes that they start to lose focus on what’s actually important; being human. I always encourage people to be honest, vulnerable and embrace what makes them unique. I’m a firm believer that finding your own voice and chasing what genuinely makes you happy, will attract all the right energies and create better opportunities to sustain a happier lifestyle.

Buy their goods and services:
-Hire them.
-Pay them for their justified labor (there are many hidden costs that come with good services and products).

Share their work:
-Use your social media platforms and connections to support freelancers.
-This exposes freelancers and their work to different circles.

Give honest, constructive feedback:
-We’re always trying to improve as artists so feedback, affirmations, and constructive help goes a long way.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Mentioning me to your friends and engaging with me on my social platforms would help out tremendously!

Contact Info:

• Website: siwoolee.com
• Email: siwoo.info@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icesi/
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/siwoo

Image Credit:
Genesses Siu, Elhae, Anh

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.