CIGE 2008
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In the Forest, oil on canvas, 259x94cm, 2007-2008
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LEE Woolim (1972~)
In 2006, Lee Woo Lim started to get attention from the critics in art world when he was selected as 21st century Kumho’s young artist. By painting such realistic motifs as human and forest, Lee has been frequently crossing the boundaries of the real and surreal. The forest which is the background of Lee Woo Lim’s work appears as a resting place, but at same time with unpredictable dangers. No one knows what actually happens in the deep, dark forest, and by constituting the strange tension Lee created the forest as a fearful place. Another series, water that is introduced in this exhibition also intensively shows the similar purpose of the artist as the forest series. Unlike the calm surface of the water, both mysterious feeling and unknown suspense are contained in the water which put us into fear. Through the vague space, mixed with imagination and reality, the artist attempts to bring various emotions like comfort and rest, fright and strain, dread and languor, and solitude into his work. The delicately and realistically painted humans in Lee’s paintings are unfamiliarly disconnected and placed on purpose after the artist’s precise plans. Moreover, the staged settings as multiple appearances of the same motifs suggest that there is coexistence of bifocal elements. The intended direction of the artist is specified by the constituents in Lee’s paintings. The woods, water, stairs, flower prints and Dalmatians are motifs of this exhibition, and such motifs stimulate the viewers’ curiosity. Lee Woo Lim’s work puts audiences onthe boundary of the actual and surreal, because the patterns in clothes are painted systematically and flatly. Also, Lee seeks the unity of characters and motifs by painting repeated patterns. The characters in Lee Woo Lim’s paintings appear as lonely or they are of their back view. On the vague border, isolated people are represented, and this depiction creates exquisite mystery and dreamy feeling which are distinctive features in Lee’s work. In his new works in this upcoming show, Lee doesn’t stay in painting flat works, but he paints flowers as they came out of the patterns characters’ clothes. The newly expanded patterns add cheerful movement to the work. Education 2006 M.F.A. at Youngnam University, 2002 B.F.A. at Youngnam University Solo Exhibitions 2014 Walking on the edge, Lotte Gallery, Seoul, Korea Walking on the edge, Gallery LEE & BAE, Busan, Korea 2013 Walking on air, Fnart Space, Seoul, Korea Walking on air, Gallery LEE & BAE, Busan, Korea 2009 Walking on a Dream, PYO Gallery, Beijing, China Walking on a Dream, PYO Gallery, Seoul, Korea 2008 Love in Dream, CAIS Gallery, Hong Kong, China The Space of Mobius, LEEAHN Gallery, Daegu, Korea While asleep, Gallery sun contemporary, Seoul 2007 Dreaming on a Path Through the Forest, Gallery Wooduk, Seoul, Korea 2006 In the Woods, Kumho Museum, Seoul, Korea In the Boundary Between Reality and Imagination, Han Ki Suk Gallery, Daegu, Korea 2005 The Third Space Debec Plaza Gallery, Daegu, Korea 2002 Dream, Han Ki Suk Gallery, Daegu, Korea Selected Group Exhibitions 2010 Korea Tomorrow, SETEC, Seoul, Korea CIGE Art Fair, Beijing, China Seoul Art Fair, BEXCO, Busan, Korea Must See-Must Have, N Gallery, BunDang, Korea 2009 Hong Kong Art Fair, Hong Kong, China CIGE Art Fair, Beijing, China Seoul Art Fair, BEXCO, Busan, Korea Singapore Art Fair, Suntecsingapore, Singapore Cheong Dam Arts Festival, PYO Gallery, Seoul, Korea AHAF, Hyatt Hotel, Seoul, Korea 2008 Art Chicago Art Fair, Chicago, USA Art Cologne Art Fair, Cologne, Germany Hong Kong Art Fair, Hong Kong, China TREND, Korean Art Center, Busan, Korea, 2007 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair, Shanghai, China Art Basel Miami, Miami, USA CIGE Art Fair, Beijing, China Singapore Art Fair, Suntecsingapore, Singapore Sun Contemporary 0708, Gallery SUN Contemporary, Seoul, Korea The First Storey, Desiger Joo Gallery, Seoul, Korea 2006 CIGE, Shanghai, China Korean Young Artists Biennale, Art Center Daegu, Daegu, Korea Korean art power of spring Exhibition, Opra Gallery, Seoul, Korea Total . Art . Set, Gallery M, Daegu MBC, Daegu, Korea 21C Period and spirit Exhibition, Posco Gallery, Pohang, Korea 2005 CIGE, Shanghai, China 2003 Espace, Gallery M, Daegu MBC, Daegu, Korea Awards 21st Kumho Young Artist selection Public Collections Seoul Metropolitan Museum of Art Kumho Museum Hana Bank Korea Yakult Co. 93 Museum |