Whitestone Gallery Hong Kong is pleased to present “Trace of Wind”, an exhibition that brings together significant works of two distinguished Korean artists from different generations, Lee Ufan (b.1936) and Lee Chae (b.1989), fostering dialogue that explores our deep and enduring connection with the natural world and the inner self.

“If Lee Ufan’s brushstrokes capture his reflections on his relationship with the world, my brushstrokes represent a journey to contemplate the transient emotions I carry within. Although the direction of our thinking may differ, the essential questions surrounding existence and the inner self ultimately lead us to the same horizon.”

- Lee Chae

Lee Ufan, the most prominent figure in Korea’s art history, started the “Mono-ha” movement alongside a group of Japanese artists in 1968. The group delved into materials, perception and the interplay between space and matter, creating works from raw, natural and industrial materials with minimal manipulation. Lee Ufan’s works on this exhibition are selected from the Gallery’s collection, and they were created in the vibrant decades of 1980s and 1990s. During this transformative era, Lee unveiled painting series such as With Winds and Correspondence, which explore the dynamic between temporality, motions and space. His earlier series From Point and From Line convey a sense of system and structure, weaving fields of dots or lines to create tension between his gestures and the canvas, while depicting the passage of time.

Decades later, Lee Chae, a graduate in Oriental painting, creates the artwork series Blue Flower and Afterimage, characterized by his signature blue paints and airy brushstrokes. Drawing inspiration from the perpetual cycle of life seen in the blooming and withering of flowers and trees, he deconstructs these forms into fragments and branches, portraying them in a rhythmical and abstract manner. The deep blue hues evoke the night sky, providing the artist with a space of sensibility and contemplation. This careful attention to nature allows him to project meditative and healing concepts in his work.

As Lee Chae noted, his path might differ from that of Lee Ufan, yet both have contemplated on the idea of existence. They assert that the meaning of objects is not inherent but emerges through relationships and encounters – essentially, through their interactions with the external world. Their works possess delicate and abstract qualities, challenging Western notion of representation; the void in their works is not an absence but an “elevated realm” where viewers can feel and reflect. In this shared exploration, the exhibition invites us to reconsider the subtle influences of our surroundings and our connection to the world.

About Lee Ufan

Lee Ufan, "From Point" 1981, Oil on canvas, 45.5 x 53.0 cm

Born in South Korea Gyeongsangnam province, Lee Ufan is now internationally active in Japan and France. After dropping out of Seoul National University of Fine Arts, Lee came to study in Japan and graduated from the Department of Philosophy at Nihon University in 1961. Lee has received significant attention internationally as a prominent member of the Japan-based Mono-ha group, where activities of the Mono-ha group mainly occurred at the school of Yoshishige Saito at Tama Art University in the latter half of the 1960s. In 2010, the Lee Ufan Museum opened on the island of Naoshima, designed by prominent Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Subsequently, in 2014, Lee was invited to hold a solo exhibition at the Palace of Versailles in France. He has received honors such as the “Légion d’Honneur” from the French government, Korea’s “Cultural Medal (Gold Crown)” and the “UNESCO Prize” at the Shanghai Biennale, and Japan’s “Mainichi Art Prize”.

About Lee Chae

Lee Chae, "The Blue Flower (Night Rain)" 2022, Oil on canvas, 162.0 x 112.0 cm

Lee Chae is a Korean artist born in 1989. He graduated from Gacheon University's University for the Arts with majors in painting and Eastern painting. Subsequently, he received his master’s degree in fine art from Hongik University. His unique works are exhibited in many cities across Asia, including group exhibitions at Whitestone Gallery in Seoul, Taipei and Beijing, and many solo exhibitions in Seoul and Busan. Additionally, his work has gained recognition by institution and private collectors. Notable collections include the Government Artbank by National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Korea, as well as Lotte Hotel World in Seoul and Lotte Department Store in Busan.