Lee Ufan Korean, b. 1936
Lee Ufan was born in Kyongnam, South Korea. He studied calligraphy, poetry and painting at the College of Kyongnam and at the University of Seoul. As a founding member of the ‘Mono-ha’ group (‘School of Things’), Lee is concerned with the complete rejection of consumer-based materialism. Instead, his meditative work explores awareness achieved through the sense of absence.
Lee often paints abstract compositions, usually formed of simple blue or grey brushstrokes across a white surface. His sculptures are similarly minimalistic in shape and material – his ovals and rectangles made from stone or steel contemplate the natural relationship between space, object, and viewer.
Lee Ufan currently lives and works in Kamakura, Japan, and in Paris, France.
