Beginning from the microscopic world of cells and extending toward the paradoxical concept of the macroscopic universe, the solo exhibition of Lee Kang-uk, professor at Hongik University, titled 《 Shifting Shapes and Shades》, will be held at LOTUS Gallery, Mugaksa Temple, in Gwangju, from August 26 (Thu) to October 31 (Sun).

Lee Kang Wook has continuously explored metaphysical realms of the mind and questions of the self through painting. He translates the mental role inherent in painting as a medium into complex formal structures, realizing abstraction through a free and integrative mode of expression that allows painting’s spiritual and conceptual dimensions to emerge.

This invitation exhibition at Mugaksa LOTUS Gallery presents a comprehensive selection of Lee’s major series: the ‘Geometric Form’ series, which reveals his deepened exploration of space; the ‘Gesture’ series, which maximizes the essential elements of painting—color and the artist’s physical act; and the ‘Invisible Space’ series, which juxtaposes the microscopic and macroscopic worlds. Through this exhibition, viewers can fully trace the trajectory of Lee’s formal investigations in painting and the process through which his themes have progressively deepened. Moreover, this exhibition holds particular significance as Lee Kang-uk’s first solo exhibition in Gwangju, a city long regarded as a center of artistic spirit.

Lee Kang Wook’s early works were inspired by biology and astrophysics. Later, during his years of study in the United Kingdom, the ‘Geometric Form’ series drew its conceptual motivation from the ancient Hindu philosophical text, the ‘Upanishads’. The philosophical questions posed by the Upanishads—‘Who am I?’, ‘When does my consciousness arise?’, and ‘Is there something beyond matter?’—led Lee to persistently seek moments of realization concerning the self, the world, and the principles of the universe, as well as their interrelationships, through painterly form.
 
Both static and dynamic, Lee Kang Wook’s works gently and delicately unfold layered meanings and actions, guiding viewers into an ambiguous sensory realm. Following this path, one arrives at a paradoxical cosmic space—restrained yet expansive, free yet meticulously composed; seemingly spontaneous, yet devoid of any accident—built upon perfect and delicate structures and compositions. Through this journey, viewers are invited to contemplate the self, the surrounding world, and the universe.

Visually, Lee constructs refined pictorial surfaces, while conceptually he establishes concrete subjects and themes, proposing new possibilities that distinguish his work from conventional abstract painting. He is also regarded as a singular figure within Korean Neo-Abstraction, positioned within the lineage of Park Seo-bo and Lee Ufan. Professor Chung Yeon-sim of Hongik University has remarked on Lee Kang-uk’s painting, stating that “while his work continues the lineage of Dansaekhwa from the 1970s–80s in its emphasis on bodily action through the artist’s physical engagement, it can be understood as ‘new abstract painting’ in that it focuses on tone and layers rather than color or materiality.”
 
Lee Kang Wook emerged onto the Korean art scene with remarkable momentum, beginning with his Grand Prize win at the Jungang Fine Arts Exhibition at the age of 26—the youngest recipient in the exhibition’s history. This was followed by top awards including the Grand Prize at the Korea Fine Arts Grand Exhibition, the Dong-A Art Award, and the SongEun Art Award, achieving a so-called “grand slam” of major competitions.
 
Through the ‘Invisible Space’ series, he established himself as a sudden and significant presence within the art world. Since then, he has held a total of 26 solo exhibitions and participated in international art fairs across Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, and Spain, frequently achieving sold-out exhibitions and earning recognition both domestically and internationally as a blue-chip artist in the Korean art scene.

At the height of his reputation as a ‘sold-out’ star artist in 2009, Lee Kang-uk abruptly departed for the United Kingdom. He was compelled to confront fundamental questions: what does the act of painting truly mean, who am I, and how do life and death, desire, and the world relate to one another? Feeling lost, he believed it necessary to return to the essence of painting and abstraction. During eight years of study abroad, he completed an MFA at Chelsea College of Art & Design and earned a PhD at the University of East London.
 
Upon returning to Korea, Lee was selected as an exclusive artist of Gallery Arario and later appointed as a professor in the Department of Painting at Hongik University, where he continues to educate the next generation of artists.

LOTUS Gallery of Mugaksa Temple stated, “Through Lee Kang Wook’s exhibition, we hope that the Upanishadic insight of ‘범아일여梵我一如’ may reach all those exhausted by this unprecedented era of the pandemic, and that they may experience a journey of healing through art.” Lee Kang Wook commented, “If many people are able to understand and contemplate my work in their own ways, perhaps that is the power of painting—of art itself,” adding, “I hope this exhibition offers an opportunity to reflect upon ‘the universe within oneself’ and ‘our existence within the universe’.”

References

• 《움직이는 상(像) 변화하는 색(色) (Shifting Shapes and Shades)》