Image courtesy of APCC
WHIMSICAL. Ahlum Lee’s illustrations are currently on display at the Asia Pacific Cultural Center through Aug. 13.
Whimsical and fun are the two words that come to mind when viewing the illustrations of Ahlum Lee currently on display at the Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) in downtown Tacoma.
Lee is a young illustrator with a distinctive, personal style, according to Phil Chang, executive director of the APCC. "I was interested by the fact that she is so young but has a consistent style," he explained.
Lee, at just 24 years old, said she has been honing her style and skill for many years. "You have to develop yourself and practice every day," she said, noting she draws at least three images each day. Lee's illustrations begin as just a sketch on paper, which she then scans into her computer to create the finishing product using two programs: Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter.
With these programs, Lee is able to colorize her drawings and bring them to life. "I paint them really impossibly," she commented, adding it takes a large amount of time, energy and concentration. Chang said he is amazed by what Lee can do using technology.
Lee's illustrations on display at APCC run the gamut from work she created for herself to pieces from her senior art show. Lee, who is originally from Korea, is finishing her bachelor's degree in fine art at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. She is expected to graduate in the fall.
Lee currently works at a Korean television station, KOAM TV, in Federal Way doing graphic design work. She immigrated to the United States when she was 20.
Lee explained she had always loved to draw and wanted to do something with it, but in Korean culture, "it was too late. When I came to the U.S., I realized I have plenty of time to do it; there's no limitations on going to school here," she said.
Those who think illustrations are just for the young and can't tackle serious subject matters are mistaken. Lee's work does just that.
One particularly moving piece addresses the issue of global warming. In the lower left hand corner is an Eskimo woman shedding her animal fur jacket, revealing a yellow bikini underneath. She is stepping from her familiar life of snow and igloos to that of a sandy beach on the ocean. The life she once knew is gone as the planet continues to get warmer and warmer. The woman's facial expression is one of loss and disbelief.
Two other intriguing illustrations were inspired by the movie "Tristan and Isolde." They are unrealistic images of a couple in love, but Lee said that is the point. "I want my illustrations to be unreal and fantasy," she commented, so "viewers can imagine a lot of things in them."
She likes her illustrations to exist in "no time" and "no space," like a daydream.
Two of the illustrations on exhibit are very detailed characters Lee developed for a game created by an amateur group, which unfortunately never went anywhere. One day Lee said she would love to enter the video gaming industry, as she enjoys creating concepts for characters. She started out doing just characters, cartoons and manga in the beginning, and her work has evolved from there.
Another interesting piece on display at APCC is an ad Lee created for an online dating company. A cowboy set in the country is holding hands with a cowgirl in an urban setting, and two computer mice with wings are encircling them in a heart. It is a very effective ad, yet also a piece of artwork that grabs the viewer's attention and holds on to it.
Chang said he selects artists who are either Asian or do Asian-inspired art. Lee is the first illustrator who has displayed work in the center, according to Chang. "I want to give artists a chance to exhibit their work," he noted. "The experience is good for artists like (Ahlum Lee)."
