Wonwoo Lee
Artist
Wonwoo Lee @studio.wonwoolee, the second friend with WWF, uses various media to unravel the inspiration behind the idea that people can sympathize with the lives of others. The artist has a wide collection ranging from sculptures, paintings, video art and installations; and focuses on transforming intangible ideas and presenting them in a tangible form. Wonwoo Lee has held exhibitions at the Seoul Museum of Art, PKM Gallery, Art Sonje Center and throughout other prominent galleries around the world, including London, New York and Beijing. He is highly sought after in the art field both domestically and abroad.
𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡
2024.12.27 - 2025.1.4
Tue - Sat, 11AM - 6PM
Opening Reception: 2024.12.26 (Thu) 1 - 8PM
'Scent of Truth' is a work that encapsulates a fragrance designed to refresh a space. Stones inscribed with the words ＂magic＂ and ＂truth＂ are scattered throughout the exhibition space. These stones, shaped over time into unique forms, hold a scent that evokes deep memories. Visitors are invited to spray the fragrance themselves, reminiscent of fairy-tale magic dust that allows one to fly, born from the artist’s imagination of crafting a magical dust that brings sincerity. Fragrance, though invisible, serves as a symbolic medium that leaves a profound impression. It has the power to instantly retrieve memories buried deep in the mind, even long after time has passed. The artist combines joyful moments from childhood by harnessing the evocative power of scent. The tender emotions bottled in this work will lead each individual to recall their own genuine moments of truth. Even after the scent fades, that experience will linger, instilling a sense of truth in our lives. ＂magic truth＂ previews Lee Wonwoo’s latest piece, The Scent of Truth, as part of his solo exhibition scheduled for 2025. This showcase marks the debut of the work, combining stones and fragrance, and will run for approximately two weeks starting December 26. During the exhibition, we will give coaster-shaped keepsakes inspired by the piece. Please visit the exhibition and take home the magical dust crafted by the artist.
SMXLL
2022.12.2 - 2022.12.20
《SMXLL》 is a mixture of alphabet letters used to distinguish different sizes. For this exhibition, using "size" as the keyword allowed the artist to examine new possiblities when working with a variety of media and formats. For Wonwoo Lee, the concept of "size" relates to the physical size of the work. By exploring further, he was able to examine the principal question of whether drasticly enlarging or reducing the size of an existing work affects the value or the motive behind the art piece.
On the third floor, he presented a new version of his previous work by changing the size and the method by which it portayed its message. The Fat Coke series was first introduced as a performance piece in 2008. A sculpted swollen cola can, acting as the main piece, gives the audience a sense of longing for what they have been missing in their lives. The aluminum panel with the word "Diet" written across is titled "If You're Happy and You Know It Then Your Face Will Surely Show It", is based on the public and media's perception on diet. For this exhibition, the artist reduced the size of a previous work of his, a large billboard with the word "Diet" across it to find out if the message to the audience invoked the same meaning that it held previously.
On the fourth floor, Wonwoo Lee displayed work that has been altered in size by using various materials. A wall light installation called "You Are My Burning Light", and a piece made out of an empty can called "Air" used very different materials from one another in a series called "Light". Also on the fourth floor, a minature gallery called "Dreamy Museum" shows that thoughts and ideas can be produced and be held regardless of the size of the surface and volume of an area.
Wind is something we can't see, and it's the focal point of a piece called Baram-doong-ee X (Baram meaning "wind" in Korean), which translates to Playboy X in English. To play on the word "wind" in Korean, the fifth floor space was uniquely given a treatment with actual wind to form a letter "X" for the audience to experience.