Infinite Roots : Jonathan Levine Gallery : New York, NY

The theme of the work in this exhibition relates to the artist’s belief that everything in the universe is connected, and that no one is ever truly alone. Heavily influenced by nature, Saelee’s imagery portrays flora and fauna of land, sea, and sky. Her subject matter depicts a harmonious world, flowering and full of life. The narratives are told primarily through female figures as well as various animal species.

The artist has said: “The roots of a plant are what secure it to an interconnected underground where all life is nourished, as the buds and leaves bloom above. The show title, Infinite Roots, alludes to the deep reaches of our intrinsic inner desires. The tone of the work in this series is bittersweet with hints of nostalgia. The pieces appear delicate and frail but the stories they tell are about timeless strength.”

Many of Saelee’s pieces are delicately painted or drawn, while others are created in an intricate process where she constructs ornate compositions of interconnected flat shapes, imaginatively fabricated and cut by hand out of paper. In a textural play between positive and negative space, the paper overlay often forms subtle shadows beneath the silhouetted imagery, introducing added depth and dimensional layers to the organic line quality of the work.