6 Works exhibited on Kooness
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Born in ‘Gongju’, Lee Sangyong studied Painting at ‘Mokwon’ University before moving to the United States to work and exhibit in New York. Currently, he is an artist who is actively exhibiting in Korea and New York.
Starting with the first solo exhibition at ‘Kwanhoon’ Gallery in college, he held 16 solo exhibitions, including Tenri Gallery, New York Waterfall Gallery, Seoul Bk Gallery, and Daegu Gallery in 2022. He has participated in more than 200 group exhibitions and art fairs mainly overseas.
Art collections include Pennsylvania university in the United States, Biederman Museum in Germany, Takami Brldal, Inc in Japan, KolonGroup in Korea, and many other places.
Art Statement:
I was born and raised in a small village on the hills. Running around and exploring nature was the one thing I enjoyed to do, the other was drawing and painting objects that I could easily find around me to assemble together. To this day I often use flowers, birds, fish, and other animals based on my memories in my childhood as subjects. Besides Nature I also like assemble and dismantle old fashioned and aged objects in order to make an interesting new form, which gives off a different impression from the original ones.
In all of my works my childhood memories still has a very influential impact on my works.
Still, if I had to say something about what I wish for my future artwork. I would have to say that I wish for it to have a stronger connection with people's emotions, and their daily lives. -Sangyong Lee
Lee Sang Yong
1970 .Born in, Kong-Ju Choongnam, South Korea, Mo kwon Univ. drop
2005 .Published Art Works-Han sol Group Sponsor
Solo Exhibition
2022 Fate& Intuitum Gallery Jeon, Daegu, Seoul, Korea
2019 The Fate Of a Moment Gallery Grimson ,Seoul, Korea
2017 Song of Fate International Bk Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2017 Momentary Fate, Lotte Gallery, An Yang, Korea
2013 Inscribed Memories, Waterfall Gallery, New York, USA
Fate, Seoul International Finance Center, Seoul, Korea
2012 Fate, JJ Joong Jung Gallery, Seoul ,Korea
Fate, Kips Gallery-Chelsea, New York, USA
2011 Song of life, Sup Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2010 Song of Wind, Maum Gallery, New York ,USA
2009 The Flight, Tenri Gallery, New York, USA
2007 Playing, Flanders expo, Brussels, Belgium
The Way, The Unified Government Building, Korea
The Sky, Gallery Ho, Seoul, Korea
2005 Korea Youth Artist invited exhibition, Danwon Museum, Ansan, Korea
2002 Song of life, Gwanhoon Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022 “MOM œ MAM” SOMA Museum, Seoul, Korea
“Horizontal Aesthetics”mM “ART CENTER, pyeongtae, Korea
2022 Galleries ART FIR, Setec, Seoul, Korea
2021 ”Black;encounter”Gallery Grimson, Seoul, Korea
2019 2019 Art Central Hong kong, Hon Kong, Hong Kong
2019 LINK, Lee Snagyong, Gam Seongbin, Studio KKi, Paju, Korea
2018 Grand Art Exhibition of Korean Buddhism, Ara Art Center,Seoul,Korea
2018 The Way, Leesangyong Namheonwoo, & Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2017 “Artful Living” West Village Printing House, New York, USA
Korea Crafts Exhibition, Hankyu Department store, Osaka, Japan
KIAF, COEX 2017, Soule, Korea
Covert, Leesangyong, Kimdoojin, Kimmoungjin, Make Gallery, Seoul, Korea
ART BUSAN 2017,Bexco,Korea
ART OF WAY Artspace Hoseo, Seoul, Korea
ART Hampton 2017,New York, USA
THINK DIFFERENT SIVE DIFFERENT, JJ Joong Jung gallery, Seoul, Korea
Harbor Art Fair 2017,Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2016 Out of Worldly, Westwerk e.v, Hamburg, Germany
OLD&NEW, Kansong Museum, Seoul, Korea
OUT+STANDING Korea Tomorrow 2016 Sungkok Museum, Seoul, Korea
Haenam Art Project, Hangchon Museum, Haenam, Korea
DUO ART SHOW Lee sangyong, Lee lan, SIA Gallery, New York, USA
Art Hampton New York, New York, USA
CRAFT TREND FIAR 2016,COEX,Korea
SPOON ART SHOW2016,Kintex,Korea
Scope Miami 2016,Miami,USA
Scope New York 2016, New York, USA
Art Palm Beach, Florida, USA
Wild Drawing- Kim kira, Lee sangyong Exhibition, LIG Art Space, Seoul, Korea
2015 Contemporary ”Fermented Souls” ,Waterfall gallery, New York, USA
Miami Context 2015, Miami, USA
ART EDITION 2015, Seoul, Korea
Miami Scope 2015, Miami, USA
The ARTIST, Gallery SIA, New York, USA
New York Affordable Art Fair 2015, New York, USA
G-Seoul International Art Fair 15, DDP, Seoul, Korea
2014 Hypoxis Aurea, KUK Gallery, Daegu, Korea
G-Seoul International Art Fair14, DDP, Seoul, Korea
Chicago International Art Fair, Chicago, USA
Miami Scope 2014, Miami, USA
Miami Spectrum Art Show, Miami, USA
Feel Life Summer Art Festival 2014, Waterfall Gallery, New York, USA
Changwon Asia Art Festival , Sungsan Art Hall, Changwon, Korea
ART SHOW BUSAN 2014, Busan, Korea
ART EDITION 2014, Seoul, Korea
Scope New York 2014, New York, USA
The ARTIST, Gallery SIA, New York, USA
Jersey City Invitational Exhibition And 7th Youth Art Contest, Jersey City Hall, NJ, USA
Art Palm Beach 2014, Florida, USA
LA Art Show, LA, USA
2013 MARIAL WORLD, Mathone BruneLli Gallery, Hampton, New York, USA
Context Art Miami 2013, Miami, USA
Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto, Canada
Houston Art Fair, Houston, USA
Collection Exhibition, Chelsea art center, Busan, Korea
Group show, Waterfall Gallery, New York, USA
G-Seoul International Art Fair 13, Hillton Hotel, Seoul, Korea
Seoul Living Art Fair, COEX, Seoul, Korea
2012 Embrace, Gallery Button, Seoul, Korea
2012 Seoul Living Art Fair, COEX, Seoul, Korea
Art Asia Miami, Miami, USA
Art Taipei 2012, Taipei, Taipei
HongKong Hotel Open Art Fair, Hong kong, Hong kong
New Groping, JJ Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Busan Open Art Fair(BEXCO), Busan, Korea
Seoul Open Art Fair ,Seoul, Korea
KIAF 2012, COEX, Seoul, Korea
Beautiful Dream World 35, Maum Gallery, New York, USA
Cheong Dam Art Festival(JJ Gallery), Seoul, Korea
HONG KONG CONTEMPORARY, Hong kong, Hong kong
KOREA ART SHOW, New York, USA
Group exhibition, JJ Gallery, Seoul, Korea
BAMA 2012, Busan, Korea
Spoon Art Fair, Hong kong, Hong kong
2011 HARMONY:the More,the Better, Gallery Maum, New York, USA
WONDERPIA, Nanji Art Studio, Seoul, Korea
DOORS ART SHOW, Seoul, Korea
Red dot Miami, Miami, USA
The Affordable Art Fair Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Group exhibition, Gallery Space Maum, New York, USA
KIAF, COEX, Seoul, Korea
Asia top gallery hotel art fair, Hong kong, Hong kong
Red Dot New York, New York, USA
Group Exhibition, Gallery Art@Renaissance, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Art Of life, Gallery Gaga, Seoul, Korea
Scope New York, New York, USA
Art Hampton New York, New York, USA
2010 Conscious behind unconscious, Korean Cultural Service NY, New York, USA
Asia contemporary art project, FBI Building, NJ, USA
US, DHS Project Group Exhibition-Newark Liberty international Airport, NJ, USA
Open Group Exhibition, Gallery Maum, New York, USA
Tears from survivors, F.G.S, NJ, USA
2009 Group Exhibition, Space Word Gallery, New York, USA
Composition of Essential Nature, JUN Gallery, New York, USA
Scope Miami, Miami, USA
2008 Barack Obama Art Show By Korean Artist-Chelsea, Rogue Space Gallery, New York, USA
2007 Flanders Expo, Brussels, Belgium
Collections
Haines Gallery (San Francisco, USA)
Biederman Museum(Germany)
pennsylvania university hospital Philadelphia,USA)
Azadehshladovsky Inc. (USA)
Oppenheim Architecture ( Miami. USA )
Korea Cultural Service ( NY. USA)
Tongin Express (NJ.USA)
Takami Brldal ,Inc ( Japan)
Kolon Group (Korea)
and ( Korea ,USA ,Iceland, England ,Japan, ese…)
Destined Encounter:
New Works by Sang Yong Lee
Soojung Hyun
Art emerges from an encounter between the outside and the interior world of artist. Shrouded in the illusion of cultural globalization, we have become acculturated to other places in the world as they enter our virtual world. Artists call up diverse images, providing fresh stimuli and recognizing the unknown in their environments. Despite the duality and ambiguity, artists make works that provide people emotional awakening and ideals by which they can mutually confirm their identities or concepts that lead to stasis within life’s complexity.
Sang Yong Lee recently presented his third solo exhibition, titled “Fate,” in New York at Kips Gallery in West Chelsea. Lee’s show is an astonishing installation combining two walls composed of many small frames on shelves that extend from the bottom to top of the gallery wall. Each frame holds a drawn image. When we look closer, we recognize the drawings are covered by transparent cellophane tape. Each frame is different, sometimes small, and sometimes large. According to Lee’s explanation, he collects old antique picture frames in which he places his drawings. Usually, artists make their works and then they choose the frame for matching the work, but Lee’s case is reversed: He selects the frame first and placed the drawing inside of it. He seals his drawings by using the cellophane tape from which he constructs a transparent grid. The drawings represent an emotional expression of his unconscious desires that ask essential questions about birth and death. His way of making these works requires much effort and many detailed processes.
What is the meaning in this kind of work? He thinks about “the Fate.” The frame was a precious thing for someone in the past, and now it is in his hand. He takes an unknown history of the frame, and then adds his story and artistic effort. He is interested to know if the previous owner of the frame will understand his process in the spirit world. He said it is an encounter that could be a destined meeting between the previous owner and himself. Also if you look closely at Lee’s works, they are many used and cancelled postal stamps beneath the drawings. Lee wants to present an invisible relationship that surround among the floating objects and the lives of human beings. Lee’s works have a strong connection with people’s emotions and their daily lives. He knows the role of an artist as a mediator who intervenes and reconciles between the externality of human beings and their inner spiritual energy.
The Trace of inevitability out of coincidence, infinite possibility out of limitations
Artist Sang Yong Lee is a rare artist who is familiar with all genres of art including painting, sculpture, installation and photography. He does not rely on emotions or impulsive feelings. He focuses on detailed meaning of the storytelling. His interests lie in history, folk studies, anthropology, sociology, classic physics, Eastern philosophy and among others. He is well versed in different scriptures. What an artist wants to know is ultimately not what art is. An artist wants to find out who we are, where we are from and where we are going. In other words, artist’s interest is about us, the human beings. He wants to talk about our space, our time and our free will, volition that has made a certain decision, a narration made of fourth dimensional fate that is never ending. The difference is it is not made of words but with vision and texture.
People who know the artist Sang Yong Lee agree on one thing. That he is an artist who engraves on inkstone. Inkstone is one of the ‘Four Precious Things of the Study (Munbangsawoo) ’ according to Confucianism and it has a slightly different nuance from the Western pen. The very first civilization drew and painted. In the beginning they could not distinguish between reality and imagination. In order to criticize the magical world, the letters have been invented. The letters developed from practical reasoning. And thus, the outlook on the world of science was formed from technological modern times. But the East used Chinese characters and Chinese characters have used pictures and letters as a system of unitary characters. Be sure to note that Chinese characters’ starting point was a dot that developed into a full character. Therefore, it did not emphasize the importance of positivism that signified practical reasoning as a way to connect with nature’s causal relationship. Rather, it admired the constancy of the harmony between all creations and we exist to belong to creations and this was something that we followed as a principle to live in this world. Harmony is a matter of courtesy and courtesy is an expression of inner working. Therefore, art to us is an outer courtesy with exposure of devotion of beauty of inner working. Art to us is an exposure of devotion that is not in the least strayed from the inner self.
Contrary to this, Western’s pen has an engraving character. Engraving not only has a meaning of recording but also gives individuality to the person. The origin of pen is from a Latin word stilus. From stilus came style. Western’s engraving culture resembles its history of moving away from generality of creation, thus, wholeness to individual character. Western art was a history of gods to nature, nature to human beings, human beings to concepts. Through this process of history, fighting and constant repetitions of reconciliations have taken place. While working in the U.S. Artist Sang Yong Lee realized this difference of cultures of the West and the East and he worked on to bringing harmony to these two different cultures. This unfolding is the backdrop of how he engraved mountains and moons to the inkstone. The inkstone contains the important factor of eastern culture and engraving represents historical western culture.
There is a more deeper meaning to Artist Sang Yong Lee engraving sun, moon (ilwolsungshin), river and mountain (kangsanchunha), to his inkstones. Ilwolsungshin refers to time and kangsanchunha refers to the whole space. The principal agent that engraves the two is the labor by the artist and the history of human beings. Artist Lee’s work represents wholeness from the scene of our lives. Arising takes place from the coincidence through the net of wholeness. This may be a coincidence but life can be inevitable.
Artist Lee engraves on an inkstone someone has used in the past. This engraving may be owned by someone else in the future. The inkstone was produced by someone who dug stone in the mountains and was used by different scholars in the past and after a very long time it was discovered by the artist. The stories of time and space have been engraved and become an artwork and ultimately it becomes a conversation to someone. That is the core behind Artist Lee’s title ‘Fate.’ All of our fate is coincidental but an act of drama if you look at it carefully. Artist Lee’s ‘Fate’ series is an artwork refined with humble and well-mannered poise. A person who has looked deeply into life’s meaning will appreciate life’s meticulous and profound meaning. And an artist’s artwork tells a story of wisdom that is based on his life-long experience which may seem refined and humble at times. It may seem like someone else’s story but at the end it is a story of our own.
Jin Myung Lee, Senior Curtor, Kansong Art Museum