Artist Bio: Selina Lee is a non-binary visual artist whose work bends reality, blending surrealism with playful fantasy and dreamlike distortions. Through painting, illustration, graphic design, and textiles, she/they create immersive worlds that challenge perception and invite viewers to see the familiar in unexpected ways.
Selina is drawn to the process of transformation—whether through paint or repurposed materials, like upcycled rice bags turned into wearable art. Their work is a conversation between imagination and reality, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and everyday objects take on new life.
At its core, Selina’s art is about play, liberation, and seeing the world through a different lens. It is a reminder that joy, curiosity, and creativity are acts of resistance in a world that often demands conformity.
Artist Statement: Watermelon World
Selina’s Watermelon World painting series transforms reality into a playful, dreamlike universe, fusing surreal Dali-Willy Wonka wonder. Born during the apocalyptic times of 2020, when the world felt heavy, these paintings became an imaginative refuge—an invitation for viewers to step into a world of joy, curiosity, and escape.
It all started when Selina was deeply involved in volunteering with 826 Valencia, a nonprofit creative writing program dedicated to supporting youth from underserved communities. Five days a week, over Zoom, she worked with young writers who were wildly imaginative, uninhibited, and unafraid to explore the silly, the strange, and the deeply real. Their fearless creativity sparked something in her—her inner child came alive, and she rediscovered a sense of play she hadn’t realized she’d been missing.
One afternoon, after a Zoom session, she sat eating a slice of watermelon when her imagination broke free. What if the world was made entirely of watermelon? The thought made her laugh, but soon it consumed her. She began painting what she saw in her mind—a surreal, watermelon-filled world that offered an escape from the anxieties of the pandemic and the SCU and CZU Lightning Complex fires that turned the San Francisco sky into an eerie, Mars-like orange. The world felt like it was unraveling, yet through painting, Selina found a refuge—not just for herself, but for others. Her Watermelon Fantasy series became more than just an imagined world; it became a safe, joyful space for people to escape into, even if just for a moment.
Since then, she has continued reimagining San Francisco through the lens of watermelon, turning the familiar into the fantastical. Many who experience her work share that it makes them happy—that they, too, begin to see the world differently and even have their own watermelon stories.
In every scene, tucked away, is a silhouette of two figures—an invitation to play, to seek and find. They symbolize the idea that even when we feel alone, we aren’t. There is always someone, somewhere, sharing in our experience, whether seen or unseen.
Selina has discovered many layers of meaning that the watermelon represents. It is a symbol of liberation, a powerful emblem of resistance and freedom for Palestinian and African American communities. Learning this has deepened her connection to the fruit, adding new significance to her surreal landscapes. It is incredible how something as simple as food can hold such rich meaning, connecting people and communities across the world.
Selina continues to create her Watermelon World paintings, celebrating imagination, resilience, and the joy of seeing the world through a different lens—one that is both playful and deeply human.
Education:
• Master's in Graphic Design & Media Arts | Academy of Art University
• BA Illustration | American Academy of Art in Chicago
• BS Earth Environmental Science | University of Illinois at Chicago
Group Shows:
• Wave Collective SF “Art for Palestine” | Jan 2025
• City Art Cooperative Gallery (828 Valencia) | Aug 2024
• Ritual Coffee Valencia “Summer in SF” Aug 2024
• Drawing Room Gallery “Food Chain” May 2024
• Persimmon Acupuncture 2024
• Live Worm Gallery “3rd Annual Womens Show” Feb 2023
• City Art Cooperative Gallery (828 Valencia) | 2022-2023
• 2051 ThirdSpace 2022
• Gallery O Rama 2022
• MPSGS Dec 2021
• City Art Cooperative Gallery (828 Valencia) | 2020-2021
Art Markets/Festivals:
• Manteca Watermelon Festival June 2024
• NOPNA Art Walk June 2024
• AANHPI Winslow Center June 2024
• Castro Easter EggStravaganza March 2024
• Pancakes & Booze Feb 2024
• Art for the Children of Palestine Fundraiser Dec 2023
• Valencia Street 2023
• Artscape Sunset Mercantile 2022