"When I feel good, and very good, unexpected things come out when I move the brush. That’s when I feel the mystique," said Lee Kang So, an 83-year-old master of contemporary Korean art. On good days, he picks up a brush and, without hesitation, creates large-scale works measuring up to 11 meters long. He allows the brush to move freely, as he describes it, "letting it do as it pleases."
On August 20, a day before the opening of his solo exhibition, "Lee Kang So: Emergence and Dissolution," at the Lotte Museum in Seoul, Lee frequently mentioned the word "mystique."
"The very act of being alive is mysterious," he added.
This exhibition brings together over 150 works from Lee's five-decade career, showcasing his explorations across painting, sculpture, and installation. It features key pieces from the 1970s, a pivotal era in Korean experimental art, alongside new works being unveiled for the first time.
Lee has long focused on the concept of existence, grappling with the question, "Do objects truly exist?" He believes nothing is fixed. "Nothing in this world remains still. Everything is constantly changing, and that applies to all things, regardless of who you are," he stated. For him, existence varies depending on the observer, the species, and the time and place, which is why he creates works that are "born and disappear" through spontaneous brushstrokes and movements, relying on chance and improvisation.
The exhibition features works that reflect this worldview, including a new LED piece based on his representative painting series "Cheongmyeong," as well as 11 major large-scale series such as "Untitled" and "From the Island." It also includes iconic works from the 1970s, such as "Empty Space," "Untitled-75031," and "Paljindo," which represent the era of Korean experimental art.
In one corner of the exhibition, Lee has recreated his 1973 piece "Disappearance." At that time, he brought actual tables, chairs, and drinking vessels from a tavern into the Myeongdong Gallery and operated a tavern for a week. This allowed visitors to drink and converse, extending the process of time and relationships into the artwork.
Reflecting on "Disappearance," Lee recalled his younger days when he began to question "reality." At around 30, while having lunch with a senior colleague, he suddenly thought, "It seems that neither my senior nor I can truly see ourselves, yet we live as if we exist." This marked the moment he began to doubt whether objects exist as we perceive them.
For over five decades, he has held onto that question, and these days, he finds mystique in doing things he has never done before. Like a child creating interesting shapes with clay, he mixes clay from Gyeongju and Sancheong with sand and throws the clumps to the ground. The combination of his mindset, movements, gravity, and the state of the clay results in unintended forms. About 30 of these "throwing sculptures" are featured in the exhibition.
The 83-year-old master smiled like a child as he said, "It’s so much fun to see the clumps change and to see them sculpted on their own. Doing things I’ve never done before is really enjoyable."
The exhibition is at the Lotte Museum, with adult admission priced at 20,000 won and 13,000 won for youth and children.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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