Emergence

So-Ji Lee

June 8 ~ 24, 2010
Opening Reception: Wednesday, June 9th, 6 ~ 8 pm

Curated by Suechung Koh
Thalia Vrachopoulos, Exhibitions Director

After many years of experimentation Soji Lee who was a genre painter, changed his style. Instead of using a paint brush as he did previously, he now bounces a string attached to black acrylic crayon over the canvas to draw irregular lines that result in nest shaped curves. These curves are the natural proclivities of pebble-like shapes that appear to be executed with cross hatched strokes lighter on one side and darker as with chiaroscuro, on the other.

The image that alludes through shape, to emergence that orders its own rhythm, implies harmony by removing expressive awe. The mass moves through an unknown power approaching the source of life that rules all things in the universe.

Lee expresses the mysterious and fantastic relations among the planets and the cosmos through diverse methods such as dots, shapes, hues, composition and, notably, colors. Even though Lee’s works by bouncing string portray abstract shapes, his works are grounded in Korean traditional ink painting because of their line and color.

In 1934 Lee was born in Cheongwon, N. Chung-Cheong District, South Korea and from 1972 he began exhibiting in exhibitions and art fairs nationally and internationally, and has been subject of many publications in Korea. This is his first exhibition in the United States.

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