Description

Instinct was first presented in 2017 under the Korean title Hwan-yeong (환영), a word that carries two meanings: “welcome” and “illusion.” The original title reflected the ambiguous nature of the encounter depicted in the painting, where a dense gathering of koi fish seems both to welcome the viewer and to form an almost unreal, dreamlike spectacle beneath the water. After revisiting and further developing the painting in 2019, Jennifer Lee changed its title to Instinct, shifting the conceptual focus toward the invisible force that draws living beings toward one another. The brilliant colors and overlapping movements of the koi create an intense visual rhythm, transforming the dark pond into a living field of energy. Each fish appears to move independently, yet together they form a collective flow governed by an unseen force. Their convergence suggests something more fundamental than conscious intention: an impulse embedded within life itself. The work reflects on instinct as one of the most fundamental forces shared by all living beings. Before thought, language, or reason, instinct guides us toward survival, connection, and hope. The koi do not question why they gather; they simply respond to what compels them. In this sense, the painting moves beyond the depiction of animals and becomes a reflection on human existence. We, too, are often drawn toward certain places, people, and choices without fully understanding why. The transformation from Hwan-yeong to Instinct following the 2019 revision reflects a deepening of the work’s meaning. What initially appeared as an encounter, a welcome, or even an illusion became a meditation on the force that quietly moves life itself. Through dynamic movement, vivid color, and the contrast between luminous bodies and deep water, Instinct asks whether the invisible force guiding these fish might ultimately be the same force that quietly shapes our own lives.