MESSY DESK
A JOURNEY TO WONDERLAND

Downtown Los Angeles’ Corey Helford Gallery (CHG) is proud to announce its next solo show from award-winning and internationally celebrated artist Messy Desk, titled A Journey to Wonderland, set to debut November 22 in Gallery 2.

The work of Hong Kong-based artist Jane Lee, aka Messy Desk, is infused with joyful characters, animals, rainbows, happy faces interwoven between buildings, and even outer space. Her art is meticulously crafted, stroke after stroke, resulting in high-density landscapes bursting with color. Frantic as it may seem at first glance, after close inspection, Messy Desk’s art is full of emotional stories woven throughout, like charming little treasures hidden in plain sight, waiting to be discovered. In addition to contributing to many group shows at CHG, Messy Desk’s upcoming exhibit, A Journey to Wonderland, marks her third solo show at the gallery, following Messy Desk in the Cloudy Wonderland (Sept. 2022) and Messy Desk's Friends in Wonderland (May 2021).

Regarding her new works, Messy Desk shares: “This collection draws inspiration from a recent and personal trip to Japan with my beloved pet, Kobie, a dog who has a diverse and vibrant social circle. Kobie's friends include not only other dogs but also cats, mice, birds, and various other pets we've encountered within our community. Each painting in this series features animals and pets, serving as a visual testament of Japan and to the idea that the world becomes a more harmonious and joyful place when filled with love and companionship. Through these artworks, I aim to celebrate the universal language of compassion and affection, encouraging everyone to embrace and share this love with all living beings.

My art is also about mixing the two cultures I call home: the architectural styles I learned in the West and the Asian storytelling that is my heritage. I use cute animals as the main characters, who live in and explore different buildings and structures. They represent a sense of wonder and the experience of adapting to new places. The ten works together have a flow, like a comic book (inspired by my time in France), but with a softer, more Asian feeling that suggests a story rather than spelling it all out.” Adding, “This exhibition is like a personal map of my journey. As a solo show in the U.S., I hope it builds a small, friendly bridge, bringing a little bit of Asian warmth and storytelling to American viewers through these detailed, architectural scenes.”

Open to the public and free to attend, A Journey to Wonderland is set to debut on Saturday, November 22 from 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm in Gallery 2, alongside a solo show from Los Angeles-based painter and illustrator Kristen Liu-Wong, titled Animal Instinct. Also debuting on the same night (11/22) is another two-artist exhibit featuring solo shows from French artist Marc Le Rest (titled Under the Pink) and San Francisco-based artist Martin Hsu (titled In This Moment) in the Main Gallery. The shows will be on view at CHG through January 3, with the exception of December 24 through January 1, when the gallery will be closed for the holidays.

About Messy Desk:

Jane Lee, also known by her artistic alias "Messy Desk," is an award-winning and internationally celebrated post-80s artist and mural painter. The artist’s work has left a footprint across the globe, having been exhibited in China, Korea, France, Germany, the U.S., the UK, Finland, and Poland. Her mural painting in Poland received an environmental design award from Urban Forms festival in 2015 (view here). Lee’s other international accolades include 1st-Runner-up for a JIA Illustration Award at the Japan Illustrator’s Association in 2016, winner of The Best Illustration (Advertising) at the 4th Greater China Illustration Awards in 2016, as well as being awarded by France’s Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2012, just to name a few.