Young-sé Lee
(1956)
An artist of Korean origin who was born in 1956 in Seoul, Young-sé Lee moved at a very young age to Paris, where he learned the rudiments of painting in the studio of his father, Ungno Lee; he subsequently attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and the École des Beaux-Arts.
His work, which is resolutely modern, is rooted in Asiatic tradition. Nature, represented in an informal manner, combines the plant and mineral worlds, and water, earth, and light, and enters into a dialogue with the wealth of the materials and techniques used by the artist.
During his experimentation, Young-sé Lee invented a unique technique that initially consisted of carving abstract motifs on a rough wooden panel. On this template he applied damp and dyed Hanji* paper, which adapted to the shape of the motifs carved on the wood. When it was dry, the artist removed the paper embossed by the shapes and mounted it onto the surface of the work, and repeated the process during the course of the work’s creation. His paper works were painted with natural and subtle pigments from Korea.
The combination of the rough wood, which leaves an imprint on the finesse of the paper, combined with the natural inks, gives his work a harmony that shifts between potency and lightness that invites the viewer to contemplate.
*Traditional Korean Hanji made from mulberry tree bark.
Personal exhibitions
—2021 – Solo Show Young-sé Lee, Art Paris, Galerie Vazieux, Paris, France
2019 – “Contemplation”, Galerie Vazieux, Paris, France
2018 – “Young-Sé Lee”, Numaga Gallery, Colombier, Switzerland
2017 – “Park In-Kyung & Young-sé Lee”, Cernuschi Museum, Paris, France “Jean-Paul Agosti & Young-Sé Lee”, Lee Ungno Museum, Daejon, South Korea “The Spirit of the Earth”, Thessa Herold Gallery, Paris, France
2016 – “Young-Sé Lee”, Gana Art Forum Space, Seoul, South Korea
2013 – “Altitudes”, (photographs), Galerie Lionelle Courbet, Paris, France “Les 3 Lee”, (photographs), Thessa Herold Gallery, Paris, France
2012 – “Photographs”, Numaga Gallery, Colombier, Switzerland
2011 – “Photographs”, Galerie Métropolis, Charleville-Mézières, France “Photographs”, Masan Art Center, Masan, South Korea
2008 – “Young-sé Lee”, Gana Insa Art Center Gallery, Seoul, South Korea 2007 Arte Sol Gallery, Solothurn, Switzerland
2006 – Numaga Gallery, Colombier, Switzerland
2002 – Pyo Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2001 – Arlette Gimaray Gallery, Paris, France
2000 – Ardenne Museum, Charleville-Mézières, France
1998 – Arlette Gimaray Gallery, Paris, France
1997 – “Anne Delfieu & Young-Sé Lee”, Gallery 63, Seoul, South Korea Hyundai Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
1996 – Arlette Gimaray Gallery, Paris, France
1994 – “Art and performance”, Fauba Entreprise, Les Ulis, France 1993 Arlette Gimaray Gallery, Paris, France
1987 – Koryo Gallery, Paris, France
Public exhibitions
—Cernuschi Museum Paris, France
Lee Ungno Museum, Daejon, South Korea
HITE Foundation, Seoul, South Korea Hansol Foundation , Seoul, South Korea
Han lim Museum, Daejon, South Korea Glaxo Laboratory, Paris, France
Colas Company , about the road, France
