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 was born in Daejeon, Korea, in 1976. LEE graduated from the Department of Painting of Hongik University College of Fine Arts in 2001 and obtained his master's degree from the graduate school of the same university in 2003. LEE has held solo exhibitions at various institutions such as ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL (Seoul, Korea, 2024; 2012), ARARIO MUSEUM Dongmun Motel II (Jeju, Korea, 2016), Perigee Gallery (Seoul, Korea, 2016), Gallery Charlotte Lund (Stockholm, Sweden, 2013) and Doosan Gallery (New York, US, 2012). He has also participated in group exhibitions at ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL (Seoul, Korea, 2023; 2018; 2014; 2011; 2010), Daejeon Museum of Art (Daejeon, Korea, 2021), Inside-Out Art Museum (Beijing, China, 2017), Light Box (Venice, Italia, 2013), Doosan Gallery (Seoul, Korea, 2012), Museum of Arts and Design (New York, USA, 2011), Uppsala Art Museum (Uppsala, Sweden, 2011), National Museum of Contemporary Art (Gwacheon, Korea, 2010; 2009; 2004), Saatchi Gallery (London, UK, 2009), Total Museum of Contemporary Art (Seoul, Korea, 2009) and The National Museum of Art (Osaka, Japan, 2007) etc. LEE's works are part of many significant collections such as National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, Burger Collection, Rubell Family Collection, Today Art Museum and more.