WONWOO LEE

Traversing across a variety of genres including performance, sculpture, and video, Lee’s work refreshingly evokes the familiar and banal fragments of everyday life through his unique humor and wit. This exhibition sheds light on the meaning of ‘luck’ in concept and ‘icons’ related to this concept witnessed in reality. Stars, clovers, rainbows and fountains, which are symbols of ‘luck’ in various cultures and personal experiences are thought to bring good fortune and positive future. In this exhibition, the artist expands and elaborates upon these images in pleasant and delightful ways.

Lee’s long-held subject of interest has been the exploration into the ultimate ‘anxiety’ that occupies the human ‘life’. As a way of dealing with ‘anxiety’, Lee proposes the conditions of such ideological work through the ideas of ‘luck / dance / giant / future’. The exhibition ”How’s the weather tomorrow?” is an aesthetic reflection of the first idea ‘luck’, and the works were inspired by the decorative technique of décalcomanie and cutting color papers into various shapes in childhood. The sensual sculptures made of color-coated steel plates, modeled after actual paper cut into templates of various shapes, emphasize the delicate and exquisite feel of the paper templates. Rather than focusing on the subjectivity of the artist himself through the exhibition, Lee invites the audience to the various intuitive experiences of ‘luck’ through the works, thereby shedding light on the paradox of ‘luck’ which ultimately lacks an absolute form and meaning. In other words, the artist opens up the meaning of ‘luck’ in life with the free association of the viewer, attempting to alleviate the anxiety of the present and future of life through the paradoxical symbolism of ‘luck’ as expressed through the various icons.

Wonwoo Lee received his BFA from Hongik University, Korea, and MFA in Sculpture from the Royal College of Art in London, UK. Since then, Lee has shown his works in major art institutions in Korea and abroad including Seoul Museum of Art, Art Sonje Center, Amore Pacific Museum of Art, Songzhuang Art Center, Beijing, etc. His performances, sculptures, installations, paintings, photography and videos have been presented in various projects such as Dear_DTLA shown in LA, US, and Festival 284 in Seoul, Korea. Lee’s work continues to receive international acclaim from exhibition organizers, critics and art professionals around the world.