Wanchae Lee is a Korean illustrator and visual storyteller who studied Illustration at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada. She primarily works with oil pastels, using warm colours and soft textures to create dreamlike scenes that blend poetic imagination with autobiographical memory. Her work explores emotional experiences and moments of personal growth, inviting viewers into intimate spaces where individual stories resonate through empathy and reflection.
TTC Subway
Oil pastel on paper, 14" x 17" , 2025
In the first piece, a little witch takes the TTC subway heading into Downtown Toronto. For the first time, she is surrounded by people and creatures from faraway places. She feels a little nervous, wondering if she truly belongs in this big city.
OCAD University & Grange Park
Oil pastel on paper, 14" x 17" , 2025
In the second piece, the little witch begins her studies at a magic school and devotes herself to learning light magic. But as time passes, she starts to feel small and alone, as everyone else shines so brightly without her. She feels as if she doesn’t quite belong in the city.
TWILIGHT is an illustration series that reimagines the artist’s life as an international student in Toronto through the journey of a little witch in a magical city. Composed of eight original drawings, the series follows the emotional experience of adjusting to a new environment, capturing moments of wonder, loneliness, and quiet resilience.
For this exhibition, two pieces were selected that portray feelings of isolation and not quite belonging as an outsider.
If possible, the artist would also like to include a letter-sized picture book containing the full TWILIGHT narrative, mounted on the wall to accompany the illustrations and enhance the storytelling experience.
