Your name 

Claire Sunho Lee
Place of birth 

Seoul, Korea
Place where you live now 

London, UK
3 words to describe you 

surrealism, control, surrender
Why do you take pictures?
I take pictures because it is a means to explore the fact that there are always multiple meanings in one “reality”.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I draw inspiration from the themes such as psychological complications, human conditions/experiences, trauma, and memory. I also pay close attention to my personal and collective surroundings, seeking out moments that feel familiar or normal. My creative process begins when I identify these elements and look into their assumed meanings, and find ways to reframe them or reveal new perspectives.
Who are your influences?

I love the works of Gillian Wearing, Ana Mendieta, Tauba Auerbach, Francis Alÿs, Laurie Anderson, Agnes Martin, and many more.
What determines the subject matter you choose?
My subject matter usually depends on each project’s overarching theme, but I am usually interested in staging scenes that feel familiar at first glance yet contain subtle disruptions - optical illusion that could prompt the viewers to take a second look.
In the photo series in Tell Me What I’m Remembering, for example, I present moments of flashbacks or moments that seemed ordinary but have been redefined in hindsight with the new context of leukaemia. While the images appear plausible - realistic enough to exist in the real world - they carry a surreal undertone, hovering between dream and reality, much like how I feel with my memories.
I also select subjects that allow me to play with the tension between control and surrender. I apply this across my multidisciplinary work, but in photography, this means deliberately constructing a specific scene while incorporating unexpected surprises, so that each component interacts with one another and the image becomes a conversation in itself.
What impact would you like your art to have?
I want my work to contribute to more vibrant discussions of arts, health, and care. In my work Tell Me What I’m Remembering, I reveal how memory can be fragmented and concealed. Through this, I hope to encourage empathy and deeper engagement with experiences of trauma and healing. Ultimately, I aim to challenge viewers’ definitions of normalcy and open space for more compassionate understandings toward diverse perspectives.
What artwork do you never get bored with?
I never get bored with artworks that respect and challenge the audience. This does not mean inaccessible or elitist works. It is the works that reveal new layers each time I return to them and invite active engagements. I am also never tired of works that balance openness with depth and encourage discussions.
Is there anything you want to add?
Thank you for including my work alongside such a group of talented artists! I’ve enjoyed the process a lot.

Tell Me What I’m Remembering
Project statement

How do we assess the reality before us when it is beyond our comprehension? Throughout childhood into adulthood, I have been reminded of random flashbacks of imagery in my head, of the memories I questioned were mine. The scenes are vague but deeply embedded causing me to live in the in-betweenness of these dream - like realities. Over time, uncertainty has escalated, becoming progressively overwhelming. I always questioned what is beyond what seems to be. One day, my cousin accidentally revealed to me that I had leukaemia when I was little. The secret is still hidden away from me by my family and doctor to this day (and I have not confronted them either).

When one remembers something, they are remembering the last time they remembered an event, not the actual event. The photographs are part of the series Tell Me What I’m Remembering that are comprised of three parts: photographs, an interactive AI installation, and scents. These images are of what have remained from constantly shifting memories I have from that time and what came afterwards. Through the work, I explore the fragility, instability, and fluidity of memories.

claire sunho lee
@claireslee93