Opening on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 at Thinkspace Projects in Los Angeles, California is artist Young-Ji Cha's solo exhibition, "Forest Slumber."

In this exhibition, Cha presents paintings that focus on various characters which often are juxtaposed against a thin line between reality and fantasy. Although the themes are seemingly whimsical in nature, they showcase underlying tropes of morality, life, and death. Using themes from traditional Korean motifs and lore to stage her characters, she crafts surreal moments that are utterly engaging. In doing so, Cha creates scenes that invite imagination from the viewers, leaving the “why” and “where” open to interpretation.

Young-Ji Cha was born in Seoul, Korea, and currently works in Los Angeles, California. She started her training in classical fine arts and later in illustration. Her recent works are inspired by traditional folktales and various forms of animation. Besides freelance illustration and gallery art, Young-Ji Cha also works with various studios within the animation industry as a visual development artist.