Lee Bae
b. 1956, Cheong-do, SouthKorea
Lives and works in Paris.
Lee Bae's work reflects an ongoing search for pure expression through the painted gesture. His works are monochromatic, yet convey a powerful spontaneity that results not as a product of an action but manifests through continued repetition. Lee Bae's paintings thus convey mental and emotional states rather than formal qualities.
His paintings have been described as "excursions into the unexplored territory in that the y engage philosophical disquisitions on the self, language, the nature of pictorial representations and the discourse of contemporary art today." In this manner the artist's works are repositories of attitudes bridging the void between the visual and the embodied.
Lee Bae is widely recognised in Korea as a leading figure in contemporary painting, and has exhibited internationally in both solo and group shows. In 2013 he was awarded the National Association Prize of Art Critics, Korea; in 2009 he was recognised as Artist of the Year by the Korean Cultural Center in Paris. Lee Bae is currently represented by Hakgojae Gallery, Korea; Wooson Gallery, Korea; and Galerie RX, Paris.
