LEE Dongwook

LEE Dongwook (b. 1976)'s works are the most realistically grounded with everyday reality. His choice of medium or method of expression is drastically private and lean toward his personal life and taste, but his work often contains serious observations of the individual in modern society's struggle to get through a daily routine or act as a critique or accusation of reality. His cynical and distanced gaze is filtered through humor and wit, but the content is always serious, and even grave at times. Through human figures, residues, traces that are meticulously positioned amongst humanoids made of Sculpey, trophies, rock collections and other items, LEE offers a calm portrait of the eternal return - alienation, balance, division, and isolation as they arise from the indivisible relationship between humanity and its society.

LEE Dongwook has held solo exhibitions at various institutions such as Arario Museum Dongmun Motel II (Jeju, Korea) in 2016, Corner Space (Seoul, Korea) in 2014, Charlottenlund Gallery (Stockholm, Sweden) in 2013, Arario Gallery (Seoul, Korea), Doosan Gallery (New York, US) in 2012, and Brain Factory Gallery (Seoul, Korea) in 2004. He has also participated in group exhibitions at Daejeon Museum of Art (Daejeon, Korea) in 2021, Arario Gallery (Seoul, Korea), Yeosu International Art Festival (Yeosu, Korea) in 2018, Inside-Out Art Museum (Beijing, China) in 2017, Albertz Benda Gallery (New York, USA) in 2016, Light Box (Venice, Italia) in 2013, DDP (Seoul, Korea), Palais de Clace (Buenos Aires, Argentina) in 2012, Museum of Art and Design (New York, USA), Upsala Art Museum (Upsala, Sweden) in 2011, and Saatchi Gallery (London, UK), Fredericksberg Townhall (Copenhagen, Denmark), Total Museum (Seoul, Korea) in 2009 etc. LEE's works are part of many significant collections such as Burger Collection (Germany), Rubel Collection (USA), National Museum of Contemporary Art (Korea), and Arario Museum (Korea).