Lily Lee: Embracing Beauty in Imperfection
Lily Lee, photography by Osoi Song
Words by James Elliott
Seoul-based photographer Lily Lee is arguably one of the most exciting image makers to come out of South Korea in the past couple of years. Drawn to themes of beauty, technology and imperfection, her work constantly explores the personal relationship between art and inner emotion. Her photography feels strangely warm and intimate, each image a reflection of her passions and tastes; each photo a fragment of her own development. Artificially augmented limbs, blackened irises and surreal narratives, her photography exudes a soft aesthetic, sitting alongside a sensibility that speaks directly to the digital anxiety and isolation experienced by much of the younger generation.
Even in her work with brands such as Sukoshi Fushigi or VACSOM, Lee has managed to retain much of her dreamy humour and storytelling, proving that commercial endeavours need not always mean creativity being left by the wayside. It is this kind of attitude that hints at a future beyond much more than the limits of photography, with the artist herself admitting the notion of being a creative director in the world of K-pop as a dream that has captivated her since school.
Phantasy recently had the chance to connect with the artist over email, chatting about the creative origins of her work, her love of post-apocalyptic anime and what it means to “find beauty in the imperfections.”
Phantasy: Hi Lily, thank you for taking the time to speak to us. First of all, how did you start taking photographs?
Lily: Hello, Phantasy, I’m photographer Lily Lee. I’ve been studying art since I was young, and dreamed of becoming a painter and fashion designer for a long time. Naturally, I was interested in the boundary between art and fashion. When I happened to experience Vogue’s shooting during college, I thought, “This is what I want to do,” so I started taking photos.
Phantasy: Where are you based right now, and what is the creative scene like where you live?
Lily: I’m currently living in Seoul, and I have a lot of thought about that but it’s kind of hard to answer…
Phantasy: What motivates you to do photography?
Lily: Since I've been drawing for a long time, I thought I could use other tools to expand it into different ways of working. I also thought that photography was relatively more accessible to more people than painting.
Phantasy: Your photoshoots are always very imaginative and rooted in storytelling. What inspires the photographs that you create?
Lily: All my inspiration comes from my own experiences and the reality I want to escape from.
Phantasy: And how do you plan your shoots?
Lily: I’m the type of person who values perfect planning. While I understand that spontaneity is crucial in photography, I also believe that realising an envisioned image is just as important. That’s why I work by forming a certain level of imagery in my mind before proceeding with a shoot.
“I find beauty in the imperfections. Personally, I find ‘perfect’ beauty a bit boring because it feels too calculated, something that comes about from thorough learning. I like things that are strange but familiar, from everyday life.”
Phantasy: There seem to be many moments of mechanical parts being blended with human bodies in your work. Why did you choose this motif?
Lily: The [if] - Figure series began from a feeling of personal disconnect between reality and ideals, making me think that meeting people was difficult and that I wanted to live alone in another parallel world.
At the time, I was a fan of anime and had a hobby of collecting figures. By combining the figures I owned in reality with the imagined world of photography, I created various characters. Among them, I feel the one closest to myself is the girl wearing a pink school uniform and holding a mobile phone.
Phantasy: When you are not taking photos, what do you like to do with your free time?
Lily: When I’m not shooting, I’ve been playing the Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda lately. I love the story and the music so much that I often just sit and listen to the soundtrack.
I also watch a lot of YouTube on my iPad—or rather, I just leave it playing. I leave it on when I sleep, even when I’m not actually looking at the screen.
Phantasy: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers right now? Which new creatives in Korea should we keep an eye on?
Lily: My favourite artist is the Greek film director Yorgos Lanthimos. I love how his films create these seemingly calm, almost perfect worlds, only to throw in completely absurd situations. The contrast between that and the classical music he uses, along with his unique aesthetic, is just amazing.
Lately, I’ve been really into photographers Petra Collins and Jet Swan. Both have such distinct styles, and what I admire most is how their artistic tastes feel like they naturally evolved just by doing what they love. Even in commercial work, their individuality still shines through, creating images with such a strong presence. That’s something I hope to achieve in my own photography too.
In Korea, I think Yeon Sang-ho is someone to watch. He’s known now as a live-action director, but I personally love his early animations—the ones that really show his darker, more cynical side. I’d definitely recommend checking them out!
Phantasy: In the age of the internet, it feels like there is no hidden culture anymore. Are there any underrated films that you think people should watch?
Lily: It’s not a movie, but Tsukumizu’s anime Girls' Last Tour (2014) really captures the vibe of “Lily” for me. It’s about two girls finding little moments of happiness while wandering through a dark, post-apocalyptic world. There’s something about that mix of the ordinary and the peculiar that really resonates with me.
“Miu Miu is a brand I’ve dreamed of for a long time. I would be very happy if I could shoot with them oneday. It’s a mood where I love the clothes, the styling, just everything.”
Phantasy: What are your dreams for the future?
My dream as a photographer is to create work that reflects my personal taste and share it with as many people as possible. Eventually, I also want to expand into projects that incorporate other sensory experiences beyond photography.
In fact, I have two dreams.
The first is to create my own underwear brand. Whenever I travel abroad, I’ve always loved collecting cute underwear with lots of frills. I’d love to design and control everything from the very start. Since I know how to take photos, I think I could create a lot of things myself.
The second is to become an idol creative director. This one, I’m really confident about. I’ve loved SM Entertainment idols since I was young. When I was in school most of my papers had messages about idols. As soon as I got home, I’d log into fan cafes and fan pages, spending all day immersed in them. Because of that, I deeply understand the needs of the fans.
