Born in 1956 in Cheongdo, South Korea
Lives and works between Paris, France and Seoul, South Korea
Lee Bae’s monochromatic practice is a formal and immersive journey into the abysses of blackness. Subtly blurring the lines between drawing, painting, sculpture, and installation, he has developed his abstract aesthetics across categories to imbue the noncolor with tangible depth and intensity. Charcoal, obtained by burning wood and used to revive fire, offers a powerful metaphor for the cycle of life that has further inspired him to expand his exploration to include the fourth dimension of time. Until the early-2000s, he worked exclusively with raw charcoal to create minimal, refined, mosaic-like assemblages of charred wooden shards or chunks on canvas, as well as larger sculptural arrangements of carbonized trunks. While he has moved on to solely working with carbon black, a substance close to soot, Lee Bae’s latest series of pictorial works crystallizes random elemental gestures, which he practices with charcoal ink on canvas and paper, recording his movement and time.
Born in Cheongdo, South Korea, in 1956, Lee’s works have been the subject of solo exhibitions at museums and institutions worldwide. Among them are Phi Foundation, Montreal, Canada; Indang Museum, Daegu, Korea; Wilmotte Foundation, Venice, Italy; Paradise Art Space, Incheon, South Korea; Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul de Vence, France; Musée des Beaux-Arts, Vannes, France; and Musée Guimet, Paris, France. Lee’s works are included in public collections, notably the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MMCA), Gwacheon, South Korea; Seoul Museum of Art (SEMA), Seoul, South Korea; Leeum-Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea; Horim Museum, Seoul, Korea; Paradise Art Space, Incheon, South Korea; Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul de Vence, France; Musée Guimet, Paris, France; Musée Cernuschi, Paris, France; Baruj Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; Privada Allegro Foundation, Madrid, Spain; Medianoche Foundation, Granada, Spain; and Phi Foundation, Montreal, Canada.
education
1981 B.F.A. Department of Fine Arts, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea
1986 M.F.A. Department of Fine Arts, Hongik University, Graduate School of Art, Seoul, Korea
solo shows
2022
- Souffle d'Encre, Perrotin, Shanghai, China
- Oblique, Johyun Gallery, Busan, South Korea
- Black in Constellation, Perrotin, Paris, France
- Lee Bae, Indang Museum of Daegu, Daegu, South Korea
2021
- Union, Phi Foundation, Montreal, Canada
- Paradigm of Charcoal, Perrotin, Hong Kong
2020
- The Sublime Charcoal Light, Perrotin, Tokyo, Japan
- Lee Bae, Johyun Gallery, Busan, South Korea
- Lee Bae, Gallery2, Jeju, Seoul, South Korea
2019
- Promenade, Galerie Perrotin, New York, USA
- Venice Wood Water, Wilmotte Foundation, Venice, Italy
2018
- Black Mapping, Galerie Perrotin, Paris, France
- Plus de lumière, Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
- Overstated & Understated, Paradise Art Space, Incheon, South Korea
2017
- Mir Gallery, Pohang, South Korea
2016
- Johyun Gallery, Busan, South Korea
- La Cohue, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Vannes, France
- Issu du feu, Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, France
- Suspens, Domaine de Kerguéhennec, Bignan, France
2015
- Carte Blanche à Lee Bae, Musée Guimet, Paris, France
2014
- Fernet Branca Fondation, Saint-Louis, France
- Gallery Hyundai, Korea
- Contemporary Art Museum, Daegu, Korea
- RX Gallery, Paris, France
- Wooson Gallery, Daegu, Korea
2013
- Holly Hunt, New York, USA
2012
- P&C Gallery, Daegu, Korea
2011
- Musée d’Art moderne de Saint-Étienne Métropole, Saint-Étienne, France
- RX Gallery, Paris, France
- Galerie Nicolas Robinsons, New York, USA
- Galerie IBU, Paris, France
- Galerie Winter, Wiesbaden, Germany
2010
- Galerie Andrew shire, Los Angeles, USA
- Galerie 604, Busan, Korea
2009
- Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
- Mark / Motion / Imprint, Whitebox Art Center, New York, USA
- Gallery Seok, Daegu, Korea
2008
- Hakgojae, Seoul, Korea
- RX Gallery, Paris, France
2007
- Hakgojae, Seoul, Korea
2006
- RX Gallery, Paris, France
2005
- IBU Gallery, Paris, France
- Cigong Gallery, Daegu, Korea
- Gallery M, Daegu, Korea
- Kawafune Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2003
- Johyun Gallery, Busan, Korea
- Cigong Gallery, Daegu, Korea
2000
- Artist of the Year, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, Korea
- Cigong Gallery, Daegu, Korea
- Gana Art Center, Seoul, Korea
- Kongkan Gallery, Busan, Korea
1999
- Kongkan Galley, Busan, Korea
- Cigong Gallery, Daegu, Korea
- Gana Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea
1998
- Galerie Gana-Beaubourg, Paris, France
1997
- Cigong Gallery, Daegu, Korea
1996
- Willy d’Huysser Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
- Seomi Gallery, Seoul, Korea
1994
- Bellefroid Gallery, Paris, France
1993
- Espace Artsenal, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
1991
- Bateau-Lavoir Gallery, Paris, France
1988
- Soo Gallery, Seoul, Korea
1987
- Kyungin Gallery, Seoul, Korea
group shows
2023
- Origin, Emergence, Return, Rink Level Gallery, Rockefeller Center, New York, USA
- Black and White - an achromatic group show (of paintings), København K, Denmark
- 1.5 DEGREES, Kunsthalle Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
- A tie to all the Earth, Teagan Art Space, Beijing, China
- Dui-jipki, Esther Schipper gallery, Berlin
2022
- Contourless, Noblesse Collection, Seoul, South Korea
2021
- Resonance, Horim Museum, Seoul, South Korea
- Catastrophe and Recovery, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea
- Inter-Mission, Paradise Art Space, Incheon, South Korea
2019
- Venice Wood Water, Wilmotte Foundation, Venice, Italy
2018
- Overstated & Understated. Inaugural exhibition curated by Kuho Jung, Paradise Art Space, Incheon, South Korea
2017
- Art Central, Johyun Gallery, Hong Kong, China
2016
- Changwon Sculpture Biennale, Changwon, South Korea
- Gwangju Biennale, Gwangju, South Korea
- Art Paris Art Fair 2016, Galerie RX, Grand Palais, Paris, France
- Winter, Galerie RX, Paris, France
- Nouvel acquisition, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea
2015
- Séoul – Paris – Séoul, Musée Cernuschi, Paris, France
- Biennale d’Issy, Issy les Moulineaux, France
2014
- Overcoming the Modern, Dansaekhwa, The Korean Monochrome Movement, Alexander Gray Gallery, New York, USA
- Busan Biennale, Busan Metropolitan Museum, Busan, South Korea
- Hong Kong Art Basel, Hakgojae Gallery, Hong Kong, China
2013
- International Drawing Exhibition, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia
- "Les Nouvelles folies françaises", domain of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. Musée d'archéologie national and château, within the "Le Nôtre Year" - Commissioner: Patrick Amine.
2012
- Plaisir, RX Gallery, Paris, France
- Dansaekhwa: Korean Monochrome Painting, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon/Seoul, Korea
- Nature in Contemporary Art, Museum of the City of Yang Pyung, Korea
2011
- Artist of the Year, 1995-2010, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, Korea
2010
- International Architectural Ceramic exhibition, Clayrch Gimhae Museum, Gimhae, Korea
2009
- "Vide et plénitude", Espace Commines, Paris, France
2008
- Paris-Séoul, Seoul Museum (Hangaram), Seoul, Korea
- International Textile and Art Documenta, Daegu Art Center, Korea
2006
- Look on Korean Contemporary Art, Gallery Jean Fournier, Paris, France
- Christianity in Contemporary Art, Lumen Gallery, Paris, France
- Frontier, Montparnasse Museum, Paris, France
1999
- Nature in Modern Art, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
- Berlin-Seoul, Berlin Municipal Communal Gallery, Berlin, Germany
- Area of Painting, Cigong Gallery, Daegu, Korea
1997
- Independent, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, Tokyo, Japan
1996
- 21st Century’s Prospect, Seoul, Korea
- Aspect of Korean Contemporary Art in the 1990s, Tokyo National Museum of Modern art, Tokyo; Osaka International Museum of Contemporary Art, Osaka, Japan
- Black and White, Seomi Gallery, Seoul, Korea
- Seven Spaces in One Place, Manufacture des Oeillets, Ivry, France
1995
- Atelier Opening, Ateliers Artsenal, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
- Another Dimensions, Espace Artsenal , Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
1994
- Conspirator, Ateliers Artsenal, Issy-les-Moulineaux. France
- New and Powerful Art from Artsenal, Gallery Art Beam, Seoul, Korea
- ‘94 Daegu Work Shop, Cigong Gallery, Daegu, Korea
- Two-Days, Two-Nights, Ateliers Artsenal, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
- Exhibitor for Opening de l’Espace Artsenal-Paris,
- Espace Artsenal-Paris, Paris, France
1993
- Three Korean Artists-Lee Bae, Kwon Soonchul, An Jongdae, Bellefroid Gallery, Paris, France
- Atelier Opening, Ateliers Artsenal, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
1992
- Paris-Over There, Kwok On Museum, Paris, France
1991
- Europe Factory, Center for Contemporary Art, Pantin, France
- Young Artist, Center for Korea Culture, New York, USA
1988
- Korea Seen Through Contemporary Artists, Albert Chanot Art Center, Paris, France
- Origines, Seoul Arts Center Hangaram Museum, Seoul, Korea
1987
- The Korean Young Artists, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, Korea
- Heterodox, Center for Korea Culture, New York, USA
public collections
- National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, Korea
- Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
- Busan Museum of Art, Busan, Korea
- Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon, Korea
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Dae Gu, Korea
- Jeju Museum of art, Jeju, Korea
- Leeum-Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
- Clayarch Gimhae Museum, Gimhae, Korea
- Musée d’art moderne Saint-Etienne, France
- Gyeongnam Art Museum, Gyeongnam, Korea
- Fondation Colas, France
- Privada Allegro Foundation, Madrid, Spain
- Baruj Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- Ministry of Culture and Communication, Paris, France
- FNAC (Fonds National d’art Contemporain), Paris, France
- CNAP (Centre national des arts plastiques), Paris, France
- Fondation Carmignac, Paris, France
- Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul de Vence, France
- Musée Cernuschi, Paris, France
- Musée National des Arts Asiatiques – Guimet, Paris, France
- Artbank of South Korea, Gwacheon/Seoul, South Korea
- Musée des Beaux-Arts – La Cohue, Vannes, France
awards
2018
Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France
2013
National Association Price of Art Critics, South Korea
2009
Artist of the Year, Korean Cultural Center, Paris
2000
Artist of the Year, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon/Seoul, South Korea
