Lee Ufan: New Work

Lisson Gallery is pleased to present new works by Lee Ufan in his latest solo exhibition in London. One of the most significant Asian artists of his generation, Lee’s exploration of “the art of emptiness” results in abstract compositions that are beautiful and thought provoking. This exhibition will use the three gallery spaces in their entirety incorporating new paintings, works on paper and a selection of sculptures from the last twenty years.

Following his critically acclaimed solo exhibition at the 52nd Venice Biennale last year, Lee’s new paintings continue his ‘Correspondance’ and ‘Dialogue’ series: minimal white canvases that are defined by one or sometimes two broad grey brushstrokes. Lee’s methodology is reductive and based on an utter concentration on essential elements. Gesture and the body play a key role in the making of his paintings, during which Lee crouches on a wooden plank placed over the surface of the canvas. Each brushstroke is applied slowly and is composed of several layers of crushed stone mixed with pigment. Where the brush first makes contact with the canvas, the paint is thick, forming a ‘ridge’ that gradually becomes lighter. Lee has said “When I make a brush mark on the canvas, I hold my breath, I concentrate and I pray that my hand, the brush and the canvas will be in harmony.”

Lee Ufan’s sculptural work explores emptiness and the void. Consisting of untreated stone and man-made iron, the sculptural compositions are silent yet suggestive. The juxtaposition between the iron plates and the stones found in rivers and mountains highlights the tension between the man-made and the natural. The sculptures transform the space that they inhabit and so condition the viewer’s perception of it. Like in the paintings where the brushstroke contrasts with the blank canvas, the sculptures express his preoccupation with the manipulated and the untouched, the interior and the exterior.