Control in Spontaneity: Lee Jung Woong

CONTROL IN SPONTANEITY LEE JUNG WOONG

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

“ THE BRUSH IS THE SWORD OF THE MIND” LEE JUNG WOONG

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FOREWORD BY JAZZ CHONG DIRECTOR, ODE TO ART

CONTROL

IN SPONTANEITY

This is an old Japanese proverb by

An intrinsic oxymoron, the title —

swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi.

encapsulates and connects these

Japanese philosopher and expert

The Way of the sword and the Way of the brush meet and cohere in

this encounter of harmony — the

spontaneous stroke of the brush

mirrors the quick, free thrust of the

sword, both executed effortlessly only with an unfettered, at-peace mind.

A testament to Korean artist Lee

Jung Woong’s distinctive style, this

proverb echoes his mastery of divine artistic skill and meditative life of

his tranquil brush. With every stroke laced with determined, calculated precision residing in an outlook of

fluid unpredictability, I am proud to

‘Control in Spontaneity’ intriguingly binaries in tension. Lee presents a body of work that fuses these

oppositions; control and spontaneity

reside and coexist harmoniously with each other. From vast expanses to crowded canvases, the dynamism of his brush in its hyper-realistic rendering converses with the

fluid ink that lingers. Emanating

unpredictability amidst precision that strikes the mind and stirs the soul,

Lee adds an amplitude of meaning to his stunning aesthetics, resulting in a multifaceted masterpiece of infinite, serene motion.

present to you — renowned artist and

The artist’s ‘Brush’ series has found

Jung Woong, and his newest edition

its way into homes and corporate

my friend of more than 10 years, Lee of remarkable works in his third

exhibition with Ode to Art, ‘Control in Spontaneity’.

In my many years of friendship with the artist, I see in his works the gentleness and quiet confidence so characteristic of the artist himself. Each bold stroke of ink echoes his composure and

emulates the ataraxy conferred by the boundless lake and sky surrounding

success all over the world, finding

space as collectors remain enthralled by his works. As Singapore opens up amidst the pandemic, Ode to

Art is once again delighted to have the opportunity to share Lee Jung

Woong’s works with the public. We

invite patrons of Ode to Art to share this celebration with us and explore

the skill and insight that lie behind the

magnificent style of Lee Jung Woong.

his suburban studio space. With the

Jazz Chong

witnessed the gradual transformation

2022 Summer

establishment of his new studio, I

in his style catalysed by this shift in environment — a predominant blue vehemently finds its way into Lee’s

newest body of work featured in this exhibition.

— Director, Ode to Art

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LEE JUNG

BIOGRAPHY

BORN IN KOREA IN 1963

WOONG

BOPGRAPHY

AND HAVING ATTAINED HIS MASTERS IN FINE ARTS FROM KEIMYUNG UNIVERSITY, KOREA, IN 2007, THE

ADEPT LEE JUNG WOONG

NEVER FAILS TO ASTOUND.

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IN SPONTANEITY

From vast expanses to crowded canvases, the dynamism of his

brush in its hyper-realistic rendering emanates intangibility that strikes

the mind and stirs the soul, adding an amplitude of meaning to his

stunning aesthetics and resulting in a perceptive masterpiece of infinite motion. Contrasting colors and

spiritual energies is not the end of

his elaborate expression, however, as his choice of western style and Using Korean rice paper and Western oil paint to bring poetic and almost literal life into his subjects. His

Chinese brushes and ebony ink,

ink splotches, swipes and bleeds showcase dynamism and motion that far surpasses a simple two-

dimensional image, accompanied

by gleaming wood and brush hairs

that are visible in the coarseness of

every individual strand. The amount of detailing renders his works flawless, sometimes causing viewers to lean

in, trying to find the brushstrokes that

created the glossy smoothness of the handles, the soaked transience of the paper and the compliance of every brush hair.

paint to depict a Chinese object is

as much a play on culture contrasts as it is on the artist and his subject.

Lee Jung Woong’s works are hence, multifaceted in both meaning

and visuals - their magnificence is only amplified by a variety of

interpretations. Through his veritable array of manners of perception and

viewing, the artist’s ‘Brush’ series has found success all over the world; Lee

has had his works exhibited in several solo and group exhibitions worldwide in countries such as America,

Switzerland, Singapore and Spain, and was featured in auctions by Sothebys and Christies. He is becoming an increasingly sought-after artist in

prestigious collections the world over.

EXTENDING FROM CHAOTIC SPLASHES OF INK TO CLEANSING BOLD STROKES ON A BACKGROUND

OF CLARITY, THE ARTIST INSTILLS THE DEPICTED

INANIMATE OBJECT WITH EMOTION AND SPIRITUALITY,

USING SPACE AND ALTERING THE PLACEMENT OF

BACKGROUND AND FOREGROUND TO EXPATIATE THE YIN AND YANG HE PORTRAYS.

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LEE JUNG

A DIALOGUE WITH LEE JUNG WOONG

LEE JUNG WOONG SHARES

WOONG

DIALOGUE

HIS THOUGHTS AND INSPIRATIONS BEHIND ‘CONTROL IN SPONTANEITY’ WITH ODE TO ART’S DIRECTOR, JAZZ CHONG YOUR NEW BODY OF WORK FEATURED IN THIS EXHIBITION ‘CONTROL IN SPONTANEITY’ IS ABSOLUTELY DIVINE, IT IS TRULY AN HONOUR TO BE HOSTING THE EXHIBITION. IT DOCUMENTS AN INTERESTING DEPARTURE FROM A MONOCHROME PALETTE, TO A PREDOMINANT BLUE. WHAT ARE THE UNDERLYING REASONS FOR THIS SHIFT? Thank you so much for your kind words, Jazz. The

production of my most recent series with blue was a

result of prolonged experimenting, thinking, and refining.

I have always been fascinated by the colours and

elements of nature — from the river, to the mountains, to

the sky. Working amidst nature affects my emotions, and allows me to be absorbed in thought.

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After the construction of my new studio, it heightened and catalysed my interest towards the colours of nature, especially the calming blue that

characterises the river and the sky. As a result, the blue that is integral to

my work is inspired by nature, and laced with my innermost thoughts and emotions.

IT’S AMAZING THAT THE BRUSH, THE VERY TOOL FOR PAINTING, IS CONSTANTLY FEATURED IN YOUR WORKS AS THE MAIN SUBJECT MATTER. WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR FASCINATION WITH BRUSHES? In Chinese culture, there’s a four-word couplet “文房四宝” that denotes the

Four Treasures of the Study — brush, ink, paper and inkstone. These were tools I was extremely interested in exploring the usage of when I focused on still-life that were reminders of Korean culture like ceramics, flowers and stationary. Fixated on learning, researching on brushes of different flexibilities, thickness and texture when painting,

I WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO BUY MY BRUSHES — I HAVE QUITE A HUGE COLLECTION OF BRUSHES THAT ARE, IN HINDSIGHT, A TESTAMENT TO MY DISCOVERY JOURNEY WHICH PIQUED AND FURTHERED MY FASCINATION WITH BRUSHES! Then one day, as I was staring at my huge row of brushes hanging in my

studio, I realised that the brush itself should take centre stage in my body of work. I wanted to use a brush to paint a brush. The brush became a spiritual bridge, an anchor that connects all intangible elements of the work in the

artistic dimension, to me, the artist. The brush is a tangible manifestation of the one who wields the brush. This way, the intangible — mentality and

spirituality underlying the abstraction in my work — becomes one of reality.

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

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YOUR WORKS ARE MAGNIFICENTLY A COMBINATION OF BINARIES — CONTROL AND SPONTANEITY THAT RESIDES ON TWO EXTREME ENDS OF A SPECTRUM — WHAT ROLE DOES THE AMALGAMATION OF THESE ASPECTS-IN-TENSION PLAY IN YOUR WORKS? I don’t think that spontaneity and control are that different after all,

especially since they exist in the same, singular space. Only with utmost control can I deliver sporadic, irregular marks. These marks are not accidental, but intentional and carefully planned ones that serve to

emphasise the realness of the brush, that emulate reality as it is — these binaries free each other. To me, this freedom that creates a surface

riddled with contemplative possibilities leads to infinite imagination, perhaps for viewer introspection in a state of calmness.

WITH A SINGULAR BRUSH AGAINST A CALMING ABSTRACT BACKGROUND OF BLUE, YOUR WORKS EVOKE A SENSE OF TRANQUILLITY THAT ALLOWS AUDIENCES A STATE OF IMMERSION. WHAT MEANING CAN BE INTERPRETED FROM THIS? The abstract image I create is based on my innermost thoughts and

emotions that reside in the intangible. While I am pleased with how my

emotions behind the marks made were infectious and powerful enough to

immerse viewers, I am not aiming for viewer immersion as a goal. Instead, I wish to convey a state of union between exteriority and interiority (物我一 体); for body and mind to synchronise and to enter a state of therapeutic

peacefulness that is coherent throughout the corporeal and the mental.

CONSIDERING HOW YOUR NEWEST BODY OF WORK WAS QUITE A HUGE DEVIATION FROM YOUR PREVIOUS STYLE, ARE THERE ANY MEDIUMS, COLOURS OR STYLES YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH IN THE FUTURE? For my newest body of work, blue ink fills the empty space as a record of

my thoughts and emotions. Maybe in the future, I hope to pursue freedom through emptiness, by experimenting and making use of the void spaces on the Korean Paper. I look forward to embracing new challenges and possibilities in the future!

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

2020 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 195 × 112 cm

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An abundance of void space, fluidity of Chinese ink and ink blotting techniques meet Western hyperrealism’s scrupulous rendering of detail, executed through the medium of oil paint; this is where the Oriental and the Western amalgamate and coexist in harmony. This fusion is further accentuated by the conference of a sense of tranquillity coherent with Orient-influence through the therapeutic stamping of blue dots implicitly by the act of the hyper-realistically rendered brush. With this intriguing fusion, Lee’s work achieves universal value that opens up a new horizon of realistic painting.

IN SPONTANEITY

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

2022 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 137 × 137 cm

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

2022 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 137 × 137 cm

Engaged in a dialogue of their own, blotches of paint and lingering splatters intersect, intersperse and interact with one another.

While explosively imprinted, the consistency created by the regularity in distance between each stamp mediates and confers an outlook of tranquillity. Taking centre stage once again, the hyperrealistic brush both visually dominates, but also serves as an anchorpoint, a magnetic force that holds the work together, further contributing to the evocation of serenity with its harmonic coherence; a state of quietude is achieved.

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

2022 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 170 × 97 cm

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2022 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 162 × 130 cm

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

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CONTROL

2022 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 137 × 137 cm

IN SPONTANEITY

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

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2022 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 193.5 × 137 cm

A confident stroke of black amidst an abstract flurry of blue.

With loose strokes that linger in a multidirectional manner, Lee evokes a sense of dynamism contrasted against the bold, black stroke that takes centre stage alongside the protagonist — the brush. Along with movement is a sense of therapeutic serenity that Lee invites his viewers to share with.

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

2022 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 112 × 162 cm

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CONTROL

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

2022 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 162 × 130 cm

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CONTROL

2018 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 155 × 135 cm

IN SPONTANEITY

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

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CONTROL

2022 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 194 × 112 cm

IN SPONTANEITY

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

2022 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 194 × 130 cm

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

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2019 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 193.5 × 137.5 cm

Spontaneity amidst control. Control amidst spontaneity. Lee’s work fuses these binariesin-tension to create an appearance of dynamic unpredictability, made possible, ironically, with utmost precision. The centralised positioning of the hyper-realistically detailed brush serves as an anchorpoint from which the blue bold lines autonomously extend, eventually intersecting with one another to create an irregular grid that resides comfortably in the amalgamation of scrupulous calculation and liberated strokes. Concealing indicators of artist intervention made possible by Lee’s outstanding mastery and execution of hyper-realistic techniques, Lee’s Brush 2019 becomes an artless, vehement reflection and replication of reality.

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LEE JUNG

2019 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 162 × 130 cm

Fluidity of Chinese ink, the brief yet concretised traces and smudges of ink telling of lingering brush movement, meet Western hyperrealism’s scrupulous rendering of detail, executed through the medium of oil paint; this is where the Oriental and the Western amalgamate and coexist in harmony. This fusion is further accentuated by the conference of a serenity coherent with Orient mental value through the consistent repetition of lines dragged diagonally across the canvas implicitly by the act of the featured hyperrealistically rendered brush. With this intriguing merger of Western material value and Oriental perspectives, Lee’s work achieves universal value that opens up a new horizon of realistic painting.

WOONG

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IN SPONTANEITY

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CONTROL

2018 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 155 × 135 cm

IN SPONTANEITY

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

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2017 BRUSH Oil on Korean paper 194 × 131 cm

A brush with a mind of its own — Lee Jung Woong’s brush takes centre stage once again in this work amidst the opaque black.

Effectuated brush and ink visually dominates the surface with contrary visual rhythms — rigid and fluid, soft and hard, as the lateral brushstrokes move autonomously from top to bottom in an illusory manner. With the tactical manipulation of light and shadows, and the lingering tilt of brush bristles to the right, Lee illuminates dynamism contributory to the injection of life into his work. Preserving and capturing the imbuement of life into the inanimate, the artwork serves as testimony to Lee’s masterly and proficient skill of depiction that emulates the divine.

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

2017 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 140 × 140 cm

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2017 BRUSH Oil and mixed media on canvas 163 × 130.3 cm

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2012 BRUSH Oil on Korean paper 170 × 98 cm

LEE JUNG

WOONG

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LEE JUNG

WOONG

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EXHIBITIONS

CONTROL

IN SPONTANEITY

2022

2013

Control in Spontaneity, Ode to Art

Strokes of Perception, Ode to Art

Contemporary, Singapore

Contemporary, Kuala Lumpur

2021

2011

Leehwaik Gallery 20th Anniversary

Suseong Artpia, Maek-Hyang Gallery,

South Korean Contemporary Art,

Motion in Stillness, Ode To Art

Part 1, Leehwaik Gallery, Seoul, Korea London, England

Daegu, Korea

Contemporary, Singapore

2019

2009

Korean Singularities, Ode to Art

Gana Art New York, NY, Chelsea

Brush and Blue Abstraction, London,

Gallery TN, Beijing, China

Contemporary, Singapore England

2018 Korean Contemporary, Opera Gallery, Singapore

Beyond Reality, Opera Gallery, Singapore

2017 Korean Masters, London, England

Tsubaki Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

2008 Gana Art Gallery, Insa Art Center, Seoul, Korea

Asia Art Center, Taipei, Taiwan

2007 Leehwaik Gallery, Seoul, Korea GSR Gallery, Beijing, China

2006 Gallery Wil, Seoul, Korea

2005 Gallery M, Daegu, KoreaInsa Art Center, Seoul, Korea

2004 Debec Plaza Gallery, Daegu, Korea Gongsan Gallery, Daegu, Korea

CONTROL IN SPONTANEITY LEE JUNG WOONG

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