Tranquillum 2025, the second annual international online exhibition organized by Gallerium, officially opened to the public on May 28, 2025, and will run through July 28, 2025. Selected through a two-phase jurying process, the featured artworks explore themes of tranquility and emotional harmony. All selected works are also showcased on Artsy.net, one of the leading marketplaces for art, to expand global visibility and reach.
As of June 4, the exhibition has received 14,190 unique visits, and some artworks have received comments and/or ratings. Among them, Jie Dai’s “City Oasis” received a five-star review, stating:
“How open and calm the whole space feels, even with the tall buildings behind it! There’s a kind of simplicity in the way it’s drawn that makes it easy to take in. The trees are full and colorful, and the way they’re spaced lets you see all the little paths, bridges, and the water quietly moving through. It feels like the drawing is imagining a quiet green spot right in the middle of the city, where design and nature are working together instead of competing. I think this isn’t just about a garden, but about carving out a quiet place where city and nature don’t cancel each other out.” – Elliot
This perfectly aligns with our understanding of the work. “City Oasis” creates a healing space within a dense urban setting. “City life can be intense and fast-paced, with people constantly on the move just to make a living”, Jie Dai said, “in such environments, individuals are often overwhelmed by stress, disconnection from nature and generally overloaded with little time or space to pause, reflect, or simply breathe.” “City Oasis” responds to this condition with quiet urgency. Through the subtle interplay of natural and structural elements, it establishes a gentle, visual rhythm that invites psychological release and an emotional reset. Rather than merely illustrating serenity, Dai’s work quietly generates it, offering a zone of pause and restoration in the fast-paced modern city.
Among all selected artworks, Dai’s hand-drawn piece is the only one created using a combination of color pencils and markers. Its soft palette and spatial sensitivity stood out, offering a fresh aesthetic for the exhibition. The drawing blends gentle layering with architectural clarity, merging artistic vision with landscape design expertise to deliver a physically accessible yet contemplative experience.
Jie Dai is a Chinese landscape designer based in Chicago, USA, known for her vibrant and depictive hand-drawing style and her contributions to urban design and landscape projects in the states of Illinois and New York. She served as one of the lead designers for large-scale green infrastructure projects such as the Veterans Memorial Tollway (Interstate 355) and the Central Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 294) which were part of the overall Tree Planting Initiative project for the Illinois Tollway. She also played a leading role in urban design and landscape projects that included the 87th and Roberts Road Bridge Project in Hickory Hills, Illinois and the Bailey Green redevelopment project in Buffalo, New York. These works reflect her integrated approach to urban spatial design, ecological sensitivity, and visual storytelling.
In addition to Tranquillum 2025, Jie Dai has been invited to participate in two other international exhibitions and one international art magazine:
Exhibition No. 1: Future – 2025 (May 31 – July 31, 2025)
Jie Dai’s work “The Circle Land” is featured in this juried exhibition organized by Exhibizone, which explores the passage of time, transformation, and visionary futures. The piece reflects on evolving human to nature relationships within a shifting temporal landscape. The piece immediately caught our attention for its thoughtful spatial composition and conceptual clarity. Organized through a system of concentric circles and arcs, the layout divides the park into smaller zones distributed across inner and outer rings. The composition evokes the visual rhythm of ripples while integrating accessible pathways, varied seating, play areas, a water feature, and seasonal plantings. Balancing formal clarity with ecological softness, the work envisions a healing and inclusive environment embedded within the everyday urban fabric.
Exhibition No. 2: Elysium – 2025 (June 4 – August 4, 2025)
Jie Dai’s work “Lattice Plaza” is featured in Elysium – 2025, an international juried exhibition organized by Gallerium exploring artistic visions of Elysium—a state of harmony, beauty, and serenity. Rooted in a modular grid, the design weaves planting, paving, and focal points into a contemplative spatial rhythm, evoking a sense of peaceful order and quiet joy. A red gate structure serves as a ceremonial “visual pause,” anchoring the composition while marking moments for reflection. Each spatial fragment is carefully articulated with distinct landscape gestures, evoking a quiet sense of spirituality. Whether for meditation, release, healing, or rest, the work offers a calm and contemplative retreat within the intensity of the urban fabric.
Magazine: Artistonish Magazine – May 2025 Issue
“Lattice Plaza” is also featured in the 58th issue of Artistonish Magazine, an international contemporary art publication produced by Discover the Artist Media, with artist profiles supported by Biafarin. The magazine showcases significant artworks by artists worldwide through digital and print formats. Each selected work is presented on a full-color A4 page alongside artist information, extending Dai’s creative narrative into editorial platforms and enriching her spatial storytelling.
Overall, Jie Dai’s work highlights her strong ability to translate conceptual vision into immersive, experience-driven landscape design through the precise use of geometric layering and spatial rhythm. Her vision shows that thoughtful design can create not only physical spaces, but moments of stillness that restore the human spirit.
Jie Dai’s work gently reminds us that even in the busiest cities, there is space for rest, reflection, and quiet beauty. Her featured works can be explored through the online exhibitions linked below.
