South Korean artist Taehyoung Maria Jeon has carved out a unique space in contemporary illustration by looking at the natural world and intentionally refusing to play it safe. Known for creating fantastical, dreamlike series of botanical illustrations, Jeon bends the traditional rules of flora, twisting familiar leaves, stems, and roots into surreal new shapes.
"I try to avoid playing it safe or going for the obvious. Instead, I look at plants from a different perspective and express them in my own way," Jeon says, describing her distinctive creative ethos. "Ironically, having rules is what gives me the freedom to experiment with plant shape."
Although she is formally trained as a printmaker—a background that continues to inform how she thoughtfully constructs her digital compositions in distinct layers—Jeon ultimately turns to digital methods to bring her visions to life. Her process often begins with the real-world specimens cohabitating in her apartment. She starts by studying everyday leaves and stems, grounding her initial sketches in reality, before gradually venturing into surreal, otherworldly terrain.
The resulting digital life forms are far from ordinary. In Jeon’s universe, plants sprout electric purple veins, sharp red outlines trace the edges of delicate fronds, and a smattering of distant stars or celestial bodies often hovers quietly within the frame. These vivid, high-contrast color palettes further heighten the sense of the uncanny, making each illustration feel simultaneously biological and extraterrestrial.
Titled simply Plant Series, the expansive project had surprisingly humble and structured beginnings. "It started as a personal challenge to fill a square canvas with plants, playing with shapes and composition to pack everything in as much as possible," the artist explains.
Working within the strict boundary of a square canvas forced Jeon to develop a rigorous approach to visual balance. Every single element—from the curve of a stem to the placement of a tiny caterpillar resting on a leaf or a whimsical rabbit cradling a plant while riding a turtle—must find its precise place within the dense ecosystem of the composition.
As the project has grown over time, encompassing dozens of intricate illustrations, the drawings have continued to evolve, and the subtle nuances within the work have shifted. Yet, the core foundation of the series remains anchored in the fundamentals of fine art. At its heart, Jeon notes, the work is always about composition, balance, color, and shape—and, crucially, sending out positive vibes to those who view it.
Dozens of illustrations from this acclaimed ongoing project have now been compiled into Folium, Jeon’s very first monograph, published by Volume. The publishing house operates on a unique model similar to Kickstarter, inviting readers, art enthusiasts, and collectors to back creative projects financially before they go to print, ensuring that niche and visionary books can be brought to physical reality through community support.
For admirers of Jeon’s surreal botanical worlds, copies of Folium can be reserved directly through Volume’s official website, while her broader portfolio and ongoing artistic experiments can be explored on her Instagram page.
