Hyosook Lee
I ask myself “Would it be possible to capture a transient and immaterial idea from what I’ve done?” The motive of making a work often starts from noticing a soft and quiet voice from what I’ve encountered in life. Making a work, my thought is linked with the external world, which might be from physical to cultural things. My concern is about internalizing what I’ve experienced in the external world.
The vocabulary of my work is both observation of materiality and interpretation of it using my own hands. They are humble and ordinary work and hours and hours work is continued. I love to handle light and thin papers and stitch them using a fine long thread as my mark making. Waiting for the final form which emerges only when I’ve finished is also my language.
Connecting with the world, my perception centers on the things are silent and ephemeral. From them I’ve made sense of human existence. My thought has been inspired by one of key elements, i.e. water described in Tao Te Ching. Water in natural world is cited, deciphering as ‘pursuing the natural way’.
Through trial and error, I respond obediently to materials that I’ve chosen. They have their own nature such as stubbornness, limitedness, fragility etc. Repetitive work is also my drawing. I try to reduce my personal taste to a minor thing. Ongoing processes such as cutting, dyeing, drying, stitching and ironing make an internal space and time which is specific to me.
education
2014 MFA, Bathspa University, UK.
2000 PhD, University of Sheffield, UK.
professional experience
1990-2011 Sangmyung University, Seoul (teaching).
1996-2000 Information Studies, University of Sheffield, Sheffield (research).
2003-2013 'Automatic Text Processor' registered by Korean Intellectural Property Office.
solo show
2014 Istanbul-Korea Art Show, Cennet Kultur ve Sanat Merkezi, Istanbul.
2008 Europe and Asia Today, Art Center Berlin, Berlin.
selected exhibitions
- 2023 Life and Death (https://www.gallerium.art/p/life-and-death-2023.html?AW=AW127508180)
- 2022 Plastic Art Seoul 2022, COEX, Seoul.
- 2022 Exhibizone-Winter 2022 (https://www.exhibizone.com/winter2022).
- 2021 Diversia-Differences-2021 Online Exhibition (https://www.exhibizone.com/p/diversia-differences-2021.html).
- 2021 10th BAMA, BEXCO, Busan.
- 2021 Selected as New Art Highlight (https://www.axisweb.org/highlights/2021/new-art-highlights-22-28-february/)
- 2020 Korea-Japan Art Show, Mirinae Gallery, Embassy of South Korea, Osaka.
- 2020 Contemporary Artists, LeeSoo Gallery, Seoul.
- 2019 Seoul Art Show, COEX, Seoul.
- 2019 PINK Art Fair, Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, Seoul.
- 2018 Seoul Art Show, COEX, Seoul.
- 2018 Hello New York, Able Fine Art gallery, New York.
- 2018 Selected for ‘Category of the Week' (https://www.axisweb.org/collections/b9sbi45eza6n/).
- 2017 Hued in the Korean Traditional House, LeeSoo gallery, Seoul.
- 2017 A Transparent Bag, Kyung-In Museum of Fine Art, Seoul.
- 2016 Present and Future of the Korean Fine Art, Seoul Art Center, Seoul.
- 2016 The Woman Photo Festival, Seoul Art Center Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul.
- 2015 Korea Art Festival, Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery, Columbus Centre, Ontario.
- 2014 MFA Show, Bath School of Art and Design, Sionhill, Bath.
- 2014 Korea & Turkey friendship exchange exhibition, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul.
- 2013 MFA Interim show, Bath School of Art and Design, Dartmouth Project Space, Bath.
- 2012 the 8th Korea Fine Arts Concours for Peace. Peace Fine Arts Association, Seoul.
- 2012 the 3rd Whoi So group exhibition, Baiksong gallery, Seoul.
- 2010 happiness plus, IlMARE gallery, Seoul.
- 2008 the 11th World Peace Art exhibition, Seoul art gallery, Seoul.
- 2008 Vision, Topohaus, Seoul.
- 2007 Good Life, GS Tower gallery, Seoul.
- 2006 San Francisco Korean Contemporary Art, Kang gallery, San Francisco.
- 2006 Vision: the Exhibition for Charity, Vit gallery, Seoul.
- 2005 the 16th Kagoshima-Kwangju exchange exhibition, Kagoshima Historical Resources Center, Kagoshima.