Influential Korean artist Lee Ufan brings huge exhibition to NSW

By CASSANDRA PACE

Lee Ufan is one of the world’s most highly recognised artists; at 88 years old, his highly successful career spans more than 60 years. 

Born in Korea in 1936, the celebrated artist resides between Japan and france. He studied painting in Seoul before relocating to Tokyo in 1956 to study philosophy. Not long after, he became a key figure and founder in Japan’s Mono-ha (School of Things) movement, which explored the relationship between objects and their viewers. 

Lee is a multidisciplinary creative who is renowned for his work in art, writing, philosophy and poetry. 

His deceptively minimal paintings and sculptures utilise simple materials such as stone, steel and canvas, his work gives insight to the contemplation and consideration of the physical and intellectual self.

In his first Solo Exhibition here in Australia, The Art Gallery of New South Wales brings the Lee Ufan: ‘Quiet Resonance’ exhibition to Sydney. This feature distils more than six decades of previous experimentations into a collection of new paintings and sculptures created and curated exclusively for the Art Gallery. 

He said of the exhibition: “The artworks I create are all tapestries of intimate breathing between me and the world.” Focusing on the relationship between the object and the viewer, the renowned artist incorporates ideas of classical and modern European and Asian philosophy through his art, to showcase his unique artistic interpretation of concepts such as of emptiness also known as ‘ma’. This explores the harmony and tension between objects, the world and the viewer. 

Art Gallery of New South Wales director Michael Brand said: “This free exhibition is an opportunity for every visitor to experience the beauty and power of these works, created by one of the world’s most significant and influential artists.” 

Lee Ufan, reimagined

Viewers can expect eight new works, including four paintings in saturated colours created between 2022 and 2024 and four brand new sculptures that are a continuation of the Relatum series that Lee undertook in the late 1960’s that demonstrates the juxtaposition of large stone and steel plate. 

As viewers enter the exhibition they will be met with the work “RELATUM” 1968-2024 which has materials such as oiled mild steel and stone, the piece captures the thoughtful placement of objects and a practice of minimalistic art. Inspired by a work of his from 1968, Lee takes the natural and industrial components and showcases the energy between the two as a representation of simplicity. 

They will then enter a room that holds the work “RELATUM – TO HEAVEN ROAD’ 2024 that incorporates the use of polished stainless steel, stones, marble and gravel. The sensory based room brings a calm feeling when met with the warmth of natural stone and the allure of polished steel. 

As you walk into the room, the marble crunch underfoot creates the sound of scrunching paper, and leads you towards the mirrored road that reflects large rocks on either side and the surrounding finer pieces that ultimately lead you to your own reflection. This work is inspired by an installation Lee showed at Tokyo’s National Museum of Modern Art in 1970, focusing on the concept of emptiness where light and darkness are unified. 

Moving through to the next room, you are enraptured by the zen-like sound that encompasses the room thanks to the work “RELATUM – the sound of cylinder” 1996/2024. Created from powder-coated mild steel, synthetic polymer paint, stone and sound, this immersive piece displays a single stone nestled against a hollow steel cylinder pierced with five circular holes. As you listen, the soft tune brings the room to a still and creates a calm feeling. Lee felt inspired by the relationship between the object, viewer and surrounding space and experimented with this piece.

Moving into the next room, the “Relatum- the shadow of the stars” 2014-2024 incorporates materials such as stone, lightbulb, electrical cord, synthetic polymer paint and charcoal drawing to reimagine Lee’s first ever work in Australia in 1976 as part of  the biennial Situation II exhibition. Lee creates a contemporary version of the historic art piece and encourages the viewers to think about the lasting impact of light on our perception of space. 

Lastly, Lee Ufan’s four paintings Response 2022, 2024, 2023, 2023 incorporate synthetic polymer paint on canvas to showcase the relationship between the dialogue of an artist, material and space. The beauty in restraint and the power of presence is immersed in these paintings, and take inspiration from Lee’s work in the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s. 

Inspired by his surroundings here in Sydney, Lee has created two additional works to accompany his exhibition. The first is an impromptu wall drawing titled Drawing, while the second is a gathering of rocks titled Relatum-stone family: the artist painted one rock blue and the other red to signify his time at the the Berlin National Gallery earlier this year. “Sydney is very refreshing to me so I wanted to have an exhibition where you could feel the openness and refreshness,” Lee said, feeling inspired by his surroundings almost five years ago when he first came to look at the space for the exhibition. 

From an excerpt of Lee Ufan’s ‘The Life-force of Expression’, he expresses his thought process behind his artistic decisions throughout his work. “My work is restrictive; by limiting my interference with the elements and embracing the surrounds, it creates greater communicative space.” 

Curating the Exhibition

With careful consideration, the artist worked alongside the Art Gallery’s Senior Curator of Asian Art Melanie Eastburn to format and design the exhibition space to enhance the viewer’s experience with each work.

Melanie expresses her interest in Lee’s work being brought to Australia, touching on his profound influence in the art world. She says: “Lee Ufan is one of the world’s most important artists. He has had a huge influence on so many artists, and he has never had a major solo show in Australia”. 

She further expresses Lee’s input in the process of curating the exhibition, saying that he would choose, make and place the work where he needed it to be. Melanie says that Lee does not measure where the paintings should sit; rather he gets a feel for the placement and uses his instincts to curate the space effectively. 

Lee Ufan’s art is widely recognised as some of the most influential art in the world, and he hopes that viewers will enjoy and converse with his art to get the full experience: “When you’re looking at the sculpture or the painting, I hope you feel an energy you don’t feel every day!” 

Lee Ufan: Quiet Resonance
31 August 2024 – September 2025
Free entry
https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/lee-ufan/