작가아카이브

Contemporary art continuously expands its realm by merging unconventional, and at times conflicting, ideas and mediums. With the growing availability of materials and techniques, art, today, takes the form of complex genres and styles. Amidst proliferating new spaces that art occupies, Lee Sangwon combines the traditional medium of painting with that of photography, to explore the subject of tourism, leisure and popular entertainment, as well as the collision and harmony that the two mediums bring together.

By combining painting and photography in his work, Lee brings into the artistic sphere the popular entertainment and consumption cultures. As the artist explores each medium’s unique properties, in ways that complement each other, he transforms the mundanity of the daily life into a form of art. For instance, while painting may emanate a sense of permanence, tenderness, abstractness and romanticism, photography relates to scientific progress, popularity, and daily life. By depicting the popular entertainment and leisure activities through these two mediums, Lee highlights the conflicting, yet intersecting, idealism and realism, art and science, as well as politics and economy. Organized as part of the Sungkok Artist of Tomorrow award program, this exhibition aims to provide a comprehensive insight into Lee Sangwon’s past work, and highlight his promising new undertakings.