“Dancing with Fireflies”
Artist Sally J. Han is an exacting painter with a meticulous eye. Her detailed, colorful works depict some of life’s most ordinary moments—scrolling on a phone, peeling fruit—yet are juxtaposed with surrealist elements. Han often does this through scale. In Satellite of Love, for instance, a diminutive figure wearing a hanbok sits on a rock gazing up at an impossibly large moon that takes over the composition. It’s something we’d imagine many of us doing; however, in Han’s hands, it takes on a fantastical feel that invites many interpretations.
Han has a multicultural background, and art has served as a bridge between cultures. “From an early age, I thought of drawing as a form of communication,” she tells My Modern Met. “Having grown up in South Korea and China, and later moving to the U.S., I sometimes relied on simple sketches to express myself when I wasn’t yet familiar with the language of each country. I had always enjoyed drawing as a child, but living in different countries made it feel less like a talent and more like my own familiar way of expressing myself.”
We follow the same figure throughout Han’s work. Like the artist, the figure exists in different landscapes, including a desert sunset, a verdant tropical garden, and on a large porch with a yard. Carefully rendered elements dot the composition, like animals, tipped-over soda cans, and a pair of eyeglasses held loosely in a hand. Individually, the common objects aren’t anything special. But in Han’s visual language, they become layered and lyrical, touching on ideas of tradition and our own mythology, and ultimately shaped by our own analysis.
“I find that the familiarity and comfort of everyday life can often feel surprisingly new when viewed from a different perspective,” she explains. “I think what I enjoy most is discovering those moments.” Cultures different from her own have always fascinated her. “But what I find even more interesting is the sense of connection we can share despite our differences. I’ve always been drawn to the human side
of things, and I think that naturally finds its way into my paintings.”
Han recently concluded a solo exhibition titled Gazing at Lee Art Consulting in Seoul. She’s currently working on paintings that will debut in spring 2027 at Dan Yoshii in New York City.
Artist Sally J. Han is an exacting painter with a meticulous eye.
“Satellite of Love”
The detailed, colorful works depict some of life’s most ordinary moments juxtaposed with surrealist elements.
“Blue Moon Over Orange Carpet”
“I find that the familiarity and comfort of everyday life can often feel surprisingly new when viewed from a different perspective,” she explains to My Modern Met.
“Cage II”
“But what I find even more interesting is the sense of connection we can share despite our differences. I’ve always been drawn to the human side of things, and I think that naturally finds its way into my paintings.”
“Par Avion”
“Early Autumn”
“Wallflower”
“Above the Sunflowers”
“Painted Sky”
“Five cats”
“Sunday Afternoon”
“On the way to the picnic”
“Home”
“Nine Lives”
“Grandma’s Color Television”
“Peeking”
