Wireframe H364 copy

Gallery Belenius

Stockholm, Sweden

Lee’s work invites modes of looking and interpreting, and while the abstract landscapes certainly are there too, as a fan of eroticism in art it is the concealed voyeuristic windows that have the strongest hold on me. While Lee to some extent evades binaries of “masculine” and “feminine” in abstraction; supple figures and tender gestures acted out by an arm or the soft gaze on a face that begin dawning before the eyes are what disintegrates the work from more masculine undertones/overtones of abstraction. I’m able to find two kinships in this regard; I think of both Celia Hempton and Cecily Brown; two painters who successfully have prompted forward corporeal eroticism in contemporary painting. Lee’s work certainly is less confrontational and demurer than Hempton in terms of the male and female sex overtly on view, but her Sweet Regrets unmistakably bears aspects of both these painters.

– Ashik Zaman, 2024

Sodales: Malesuada
Nulla: Sapien
Proin: Dignissim

Carnalia

Blueshop Gallery

London, UK

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Participating Artist: Kyungseo Lee, Hannah Lim
Type: Duo

Demian

Makasiini Contemporary

Turku, Finland

Lee’s new exhibition, Demian, at Makasiini Contemporary marks the artist’s first solo exhibition in Europe. The title of the exhibition refers to the novel written by Hermann Hesse, which is about navigating oneself in the world that is believed to consist of two different kinds— the good and the evil. However, ultimately through the novel, the protagonist realizes it is their own perception, likewise their illusion of the world. Lee relates the idea in the book to the gray areas in our reality which has always been her interest, and mentions that certain social circumstances such as polarization in Korea especially in her generation, is one of the factors that influenced her paintings, as well as her genuine curiosity and admiration in how each one has their own universe of values. Lee’s works invite the viewer to contemplate one’s own values regarding, but not limited to, womanhood and female desire, as can be seen in certain paintings that involve female bodies.

Sodales: Malesuada
Nulla: Sapien
Proin: Dignissim

Project 4

Vivamus Sit

09–24–1953

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Sodales: Malesuada
Nulla: Sapien
Proin: Dignissim

Project 5

Ut molestie

09–24–1953

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Sodales: Malesuada
Nulla: Sapien
Proin: Dignissim

Kyungseo Lee (b. 1995 in Seoul, South Korea) is an artist based in London. She earned her MA at the Royal College of Art in Painting (2023) and BA at Hongik University in Painting and Visual Communication Design (2020). Lee was selected as an artist in residence at Cité Internationale des Arts (France, 2016), and PADA Artist Residency (Portugal, 2023). Her works have been shown internationally including solo exhibition at LKIF Gallery (Korea, 2021), and a number of group exhibitions including shows with: OHSH Projects, Soho Revue and Blue Shop Gallery. She recently had a solo show in Europe, at Makasiini Contemporary (Finland, 2024).

Within her practice, Kyungseo Lee explores the conflicting emotions and values towards the human experience. The erotically charged images serve as a stressor to the viewer, challenging one’s own ambivalence on the topic of ‘body image’. Grey areas in between the binaries of bodily celebration and objectification, right and wrong, good and evil have been a continuing topic and interest for the young painter. She has experienced certain social circumstances such as the polarisation in Korea, especially in her generation, which is one of the main factors that influences her paintings, as well as her genuine curiosity and admiration in how each one has their own universe of values and experiences.

The figures in Kyungseo Lee’s paintings morph into abstraction from form to expression; Lee has been specifically working on the fluidity in her paintings. In order to achieve this, she chooses to pull back and restrain the brush by leaving the canvas empty in places, bringing the ambiguity to the fullest extent by letting the colours flow and merge themselves. Worked with a loose painterly style, the figure soon dissolves into surface mark and gesture.

Photo shot by Blueshop Gallery

CV

Kyungseo Lee

kyungseolee.studio at gmail.com
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyungseolee.studio/

Currently lives and works in London.
(한글버전은 아래에 있습니다. Please scroll down for Korean version)

EDUCATION

2021 - 2023   MA Painting, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2014 - 2020   BFA Painting, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea
2016 - 2020   BFA Visual Communication Design, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea
2016   Illustration (Exchange Student) , Paris College of Art, France
2011 - 2014   Seoul Arts High School, Seoul, Korea

RESIDENCY

2023 PADA Studios Artist-in-Residence, Lisbon, Portugal
2016-2017   Cité Internationale des Arts Residency, Paris, France

SOLO EXHIBITION

2024   Phosphenes, Gallery Belenius, Stockholm, Sweden
2024   Demian, Makasiini Contemporary, Turku, Finland
2021   Love Me/Love Me Not, LKIF Gallery, Seoul, Korea

DUO / GROUP EXHIBITION

2024 In the Emancipation of Self, D Contemporary, London, UK
2024 Carnalia (Duo with Hannah Lim), Blue Shop Cottage, London, UK
2023 This is Not a Toxic Field, Galleria PADA, Lisbon, Portugal
2023 SSA 125th Annual Exhibition, Maclaurin Art Gallery, Ayr, UK
2023 RCA Painting Degree Show, The Truman Brewery, London, UK
2023 Works on Paper 5 (online), Blue Shop Cottage, UK
2023 South Open, OHSH Projects, Peckham Arches, London, UK
2023 Old and New, Show and Tell x Pick and Place, Seoul, Korea
2022   1:1:1 (online), KO Art & Antiques, UK
2022 Oneiric (online), Purslane Art, UK
2022 TERRA, SET Studio Gallery, London, UK
2022 Collaboration with The Little Scarlet Door, Soho Revue, London, UK
2022 Works on Paper 4 (online), Blue Shop Cottage, London, UK
2022    Come One Come All, The Function Suite, London, UK
2022 RAW, Soho Revue, London, UK
2022    WIP Show (online), Royal College of Art, London, UK
2021 Drying Time, Baekyoung Space, Seoul, Korea
2020 Poster Factory, 9AND, Seoul, Korea
2019 BFA Degree Show (Visual Communication Design), Hongik University, Seoul, Korea
2018    BFA Degree Show (Painting), Hongik University, Seoul, Korea
2017    Open Studio, Department of Painting, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea
2017    FLESH, Gallery Hoard, Seoul, Korea
2016    Open Studio (Duo with Reeha Lim), Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France
2016    EMERGENCE, Paris College of Art Gallery Show, Le Pavé d'Orsay, Paris, France

ART FAIR

2024 Market Art Fair, Gallery Belenius, Stockholm, Sweden
2023 Yeonhui Art Fair, Gallery Inn, Seoul, Korea
2022 Art on a Postcard, The Other Artfair, London, UK
2021   100 Between 0 Fair, Baekyoung Space, Seoul, Korea
2021   Yeonhui Art Fair, Gallery Inn, Seoul, Korea
2020   Eulji Art Fair, Eulji Twin Tower, Seoul, Korea
2020   Art Interview Fair, Sueno339, Seoul & Debec Gallery, Daegu, Korea
2017   Asian Students and Young Artists Art Festival, DDP, Seoul, Korea
2017   Seoul Art Book Fair (UE9), Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea

AWARDS

2022   The Waverton Art Prize (Longlisted), London, UK
2017   Adobe Design Achievement Awards (Semifinalist), California, USA
2017   Overseas Scholarship, Hongik University, Seoul, Korea

COLLABORATION

2024   Exhibition with Drake's London, London, UK (forthcoming)
2022   Exhibition and Collection by Nike SNKRS Hongdae, Seoul, Korea

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2023   Artist Talk and Tutorial, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), Cambridge, UK
2023   Artist Talk and Workshop, University for the Creative Arts (UCA), Farnham, UK
2022   Workshop, Camberwell College of Arts (UAL), London, UK

현재 런던 거주

학력

2023   영국 왕립예술대학 페인팅 석사 졸업
2020   홍익대학교 회화과 졸업
2020   홍익대학교 시각디자인과 졸업
2016   파리 컬리지 오브 아트 일러스트레이션과 교환학생 수료
2014   서울 예술고등학교 졸업

레지던시

2023   PADA 아티스트 레지던시, 리즈본, 포르투갈
2016 파리 국제 예술공동체, 파리, 프랑스

개인전

2024   Phosphenes, 갤러리 벨레니우스, 스톡홀름, 스웨덴
2024   Demian, 마카시니 컨템포러리, 투르쿠, 핀란드
2021   Love Me/Love Me Not, LKIF갤러리, 서울

단체전/2인전

2025   그룹전, 프롬프트 프로젝트, 서울 (예정)
2024   In the Emancipation of Self, D콘템포러리, 런던
2024   Carnalia (2인전), 블루샵갤러리, 런던
2023   This is Not a Toxic Field, PADA 갤러리, 리스본
2023   SSA 125th Annual Exhibition, Maclaurin Art Gallery, 에어
2023   영국 왕립예술대학교 졸업전시, The Truman Brewery, 런던
2023 사우스 오픈, OHSH 프로젝트, 페컴 아치스, 런던
2023 올드 앤 뉴, 쇼앤텔 x 픽앤플레이스, 서울
2022 1:1:1 (온라인), KO Art & Antiques, 런던
2022 Oneiric (온라인), 펄스레인 아트, 런던
2022 TERRA, SET스튜디오 갤러리, 런던
2022   Collaboration with The Little Scarlet Door, 소호 레뷰, 런던
2022   Works on Paper 4, 블루샵 코타지, 런던 (온라인)
2022   Come One Come All, 더 펑션 스위트, 런던
2022 RAW, 소호 레뷰, 런던
2022   WIP Show (온라인), 왕립예술대학, 런던
2021   건조시간, 전시공간 백영, 서울
2020   POSTER FACTORY, 나인앤드벙커, 서울
2019   홍익대학교 시각디자인과 졸업전시, 홍익대학교, 서울
2018   홍익대학교 회화과 졸업전시, 홍익대학교, 서울
2017   FLESH , 갤러리 호아드, 서울
2016   오픈스튜디오2인전, 파리 국제 예술공동체, 파리
2016   EMERGENCE, 르 파브 도르세 갤러리, 파리

아트페어

2024 마켓 아트페어, 갤러리 벨레니우스, 스톡홀름
2023 연희아트페어, 갤러리인, 서울
2023 아트 온 어 포스트카드, 디 아더 아트페어, 런던
2021 연희아트페어, 갤러리인, 서울
2021 100비트윈0페어, 전시공간 백영, 서울
2020 을지아트페어, 을지트윈타워, 서울
2020 아트인터뷰페어, 수애뇨339, 서울
아트인터뷰페어, 대백플라자갤러리, 대
2017 서울아트북페어 (UE9 언리미티드에디션), 서울시립 북서울미술관, 서울

수상

2022 더 웨이버톤 아트 프라이즈 (Longlisted), 런던
2017 어도비 디자인 어워즈 일러스트레이션 부문 (Semifinalist), 캘리포니아
2017 해외탐사장학금, 홍익대학교, 서울

콜라보레이션

2024 Drake’s 런던 전시, 런던 (예정)
2022 나이키 스타일 홍대 작품 소장 및 전시, 서울

강의

2023   아티스트 토크 및 튜토리얼, 앵글리아 러스킨 대학교, 캠브리지
2023   아티스트 토크 및 워크샵, 유씨에이, 판함
2022   워크샵, 런던예술대학, 캠버웰 컬리지 오브 아츠, 런던

Exhibitions

publications/press

C-Print: Everything, and Nothing but Sunscreen (2024)

Wick Culture: Spotlight (2023)

CV

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Exhibitions