Video
Biography
The paintings of LEE Jinju (b. 1980) open up landscapes where memory and the unconscious, truth and fiction, and frozen time coexist. Every object and person that appears in her work contains the artist’s gaze, rejuvenating the memories in the process of encounter. LEE’s work begins with repetitive questions thrown in life. The tangible results of this internal exploration process, which originated from these continuous inquiries, are expressed through sharp and geometric, sometimes seemingly ordinary and minuscule objects that have been carefully dissected from the well-constructed framework of daily life and memory. One step further, the artist’s canvas becomes the intermediate zone where boundaries between life and death, underground and surface, day and night are transcended, and the overlapping layers of dense metaphor unravel and sustain a fragmented and shattered world. In this place, the movements of existence escape the dimensions of time and space, randomly infiltrating the crevices of memory throughout various spaces. To LEE, memory is constantly summoned by sensory stimuli. These sensory stimuli allow us to perceive the unseen dimensions more distinctly and serve as the essence of human instinct and the catalyst for artistic creation, capturing the elusive realm beyond tangible forms.
 
LEE Jinju studied East Asian painting and she delicately depicts uncanny and strange scenes, objects, and landscapes she encounters in her daily life, applying the coloring techniques of East Asian painting. LEE’s ‘shaped canvas’, which represents time, space and perspective through three-dimensional painting, offers a way to delve into the intricacies of the numerous stories within a grand landscape. On the other hand, her ‘black painting’, which portrays body parts such as hands and faces emerging from the pitch-black darkness, presents fragmented subjects in a more eerie manner, showcasing them dramatically. The details that emerge in LEE Jinju’s work goes beyond simply replicating the subject. They capture the artist’s gaze towards the subject and the attitude cultivated through extensive observation.
 
LEE Jinju has held solo exhibitions at ARARIO MUSEUM Tapdong Cinema (Jeju, Korea, 2022-2024), ARARIO MUSEUM in SPACE (Seoul, Korea, 2020), Triumph Gallery (Moscow, Russia, 2019), Edwin's Gallery (Jakarta, Indonesia, 2018), and ARARIO GALLERY Seoul (Seoul, Korea, 2017), among others. LEE has also participated in group exhibitions at numerous venues including Marres, House of Contemporary Culture (Maastricht, The Netherlands, 2022), White Cube Seoul (Seoul, Korea, 2023), SONGEUN (Seoul, Korea, 2023 and 2022), Jeju Museum of Art (Jeju, Korea, 2023), Korea Cultural Center (Brussels, Belgium, 2021), National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul (Seoul, Korea, 2021), Jeonnam International Sumuk Biennale (Jeonnam, Korea, 2021), Museum of Moscow (Moscow, Russia, 2021), ARARIO GALLERY Cheonan (Cheonan, Korea, 2021), Gyeongnam Art Museum (Changwon, Korea, 2021), Asia Culture Center (Gwangju, Korea, 2019), Gangwon International Biennale (Gangwon, Korea, 2018), Seoul Museum of Art (Seoul, Korea, 2015), Doosan Gallery New York (New York, US, 2013), OCI Museum of Art (Seoul, Korea, 2011), Ilmin Museum of Art (Seoul, Korea, 2010). LEE Jinju received Second Prize of JoongAng Fine Arts Prize in 2009 and Second Prize of SONGEUN Art Award in 2014. LEE's works are in public collections in Korea, in the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Gyeongnam Art Museum, ARARIO MUSEUM, SONGEUN Art and Cultural Foundation, and OCI Museum of Art.
Works
  • LEE Jinju, Half of Half-Fragile 반의반-부서질, 2025
    Half of Half-Fragile 반의반-부서질, 2025
  • LEE Jinju, Resolution-Fading Away 다짐-사그라드는, 2025
    Resolution-Fading Away 다짐-사그라드는, 2025
  • LEE Jinju, (Im)possible (불)가능한, 2024
    (Im)possible (불)가능한, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, A Certain Name 어떤 이름, 2024
    A Certain Name 어떤 이름, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, A Different Beginning, 2024
    A Different Beginning, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, A Part of the Island 섬의 일부, 2024
    A Part of the Island 섬의 일부, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, A Well 우물, 2024
    A Well 우물, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Act 4 4막, 2024
    Act 4 4막, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Act 9 9막, 2024
    Act 9 9막, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Adhesion 집착, 2024
    Adhesion 집착, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Beginning, 2024
    Beginning, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Between-Fine 사이-가느다란, 2024
    Between-Fine 사이-가느다란, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Burning Redness 뜨겁고 붉은 것, 2024
    Burning Redness 뜨겁고 붉은 것, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Composed of Events, Not Things 11 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 11, 2024
    Composed of Events, Not Things 11 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 11, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Composed of Events, Not Things 20 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 20, 2024
    Composed of Events, Not Things 20 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 20, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Composed of Events, Not Things 21 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 21, 2024
    Composed of Events, Not Things 21 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 21, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Composed of Events, Not Things 22 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 22, 2024
    Composed of Events, Not Things 22 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 22, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Composed of Events, Not Things 23 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 23, 2024
    Composed of Events, Not Things 23 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 23, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Composed of Events, Not Things 24 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 24, 2024
    Composed of Events, Not Things 24 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 24, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Composed of Events, Not Things 25 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 25, 2024
    Composed of Events, Not Things 25 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 25, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Composed of Events, Not Things 26 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 26, 2024
    Composed of Events, Not Things 26 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 26, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Composed of Events, Not Things 27 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 27, 2024
    Composed of Events, Not Things 27 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 27, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Composed of Events, Not Things 28 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 28, 2024
    Composed of Events, Not Things 28 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 28, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Composed of Events, Not Things 29 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 29, 2024
    Composed of Events, Not Things 29 사물이 아닌 사건으로 이루어진 29, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Erased 지워진, 2024
    Erased 지워진, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Midsummer 한여름, 2024
    Midsummer 한여름, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Next Season 다음 계절, 2024
    Next Season 다음 계절, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, No Ground 닿지 않는 땅, 2024
    No Ground 닿지 않는 땅, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Old Memory, 2024
    Old Memory, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Remaining-Afternoon 남겨진-오후, 2024
    Remaining-Afternoon 남겨진-오후, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Upright 서 있는, 2024
    Upright 서 있는, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible - Fragment, 2024
    Visible - Fragment, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible - Path, 2024
    Visible - Path, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible - Silence, 2024
    Visible - Silence, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible - Sound, 2024
    Visible - Sound, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 21 볼 수 있는 21, 2024
    Visible 21 볼 수 있는 21, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 22 볼 수 있는 22, 2024
    Visible 22 볼 수 있는 22, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 23 볼 수 있는 23, 2024
    Visible 23 볼 수 있는 23, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 24 볼 수 있는 24, 2024
    Visible 24 볼 수 있는 24, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 25 볼 수 있는 25, 2024
    Visible 25 볼 수 있는 25, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 26 볼 수 있는 26, 2024
    Visible 26 볼 수 있는 26, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 27 볼 수 있는 27, 2024
    Visible 27 볼 수 있는 27, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 28 볼 수 있는 28, 2024
    Visible 28 볼 수 있는 28, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 29 볼 수 있는 29, 2024
    Visible 29 볼 수 있는 29, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 30 볼 수 있는 30, 2024
    Visible 30 볼 수 있는 30, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 32 볼 수 있는 32, 2024
    Visible 32 볼 수 있는 32, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 33 볼 수 있는 33, 2024
    Visible 33 볼 수 있는 33, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 34 볼 수 있는 34, 2024
    Visible 34 볼 수 있는 34, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 35 볼 수 있는 35, 2024
    Visible 35 볼 수 있는 35, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 7 볼 수 있는 7 , 2024
    Visible 7 볼 수 있는 7 , 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 8 볼 수 있는 8, 2024
    Visible 8 볼 수 있는 8, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Visible 9 볼 수 있는 9, 2024
    Visible 9 볼 수 있는 9, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Vitality 약동, 2024
    Vitality 약동, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Warmth 온기, 2024
    Warmth 온기, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Wednesday Prayer, 2024
    Wednesday Prayer, 2024
  • LEE Jinju, Amongst 중에서, 2023
    Amongst 중에서, 2023
  • LEE Jinju, Moment 0 순간 0, 2023
    Moment 0 순간 0, 2023
  • LEE Jinju, One 한, 2023
    One 한, 2023
  • LEE Jinju, Act 3, 2022-2023
    Act 3, 2022-2023
  • LEE Jinju, Blind Spot , 2021
    Blind Spot , 2021
  • LEE Jinju, Deductive Reasoning, 2021
    Deductive Reasoning, 2021
  • LEE Jinju, Five Gaps, 2021
    Five Gaps, 2021
  • LEE Jinju, From the Outset, 2021
    From the Outset, 2021
  • LEE Jinju, Interval, 2021
    Interval, 2021
  • LEE Jinju, Last Spring, 2021
    Last Spring, 2021
  • LEE Jinju, Light, 2021
    Light, 2021
  • LEE Jinju, Seeing, 2021
    Seeing, 2021
  • LEE Jinju, The Prayer, 2021
    The Prayer, 2021
  • LEE Jinju, At Noon, 2020
    At Noon, 2020
  • LEE Jinju, Four Questions, 2019
    Four Questions, 2019
  • LEE Jinju, Remained, 2019
    Remained, 2019
  • LEE Jinju, Unseen, 2019
    Unseen, 2019
  • LEE Jinju, Possibilities, 2018
    Possibilities, 2018
  • LEE Jinju, The Before Before, 2018
    The Before Before, 2018
  • LEE Jinju, The One Who Knows, 2018
    The One Who Knows, 2018
  • LEE Jinju, Unpredictable, 2018
    Unpredictable, 2018
  • LEE Jinju, Dark, Faces 검음, 얼굴들, 2017-2023
    Dark, Faces 검음, 얼굴들, 2017-2023
  • LEE Jinju, Deceptive Well, 2017
    Deceptive Well, 2017
  • LEE Jinju, In the Center Of, 2017
    In the Center Of, 2017
  • LEE Jinju, Between, 2015
    Between, 2015
  • LEE Jinju, End of the Summer, 2014
    End of the Summer, 2014
  • LEE Jinju, Layers of Daytime, 2014
    Layers of Daytime, 2014
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