November 19 – 30, 2003
Born and educated in Seoul, Korea, MyungSook Lee immigrated to Canada four years ago. In Korea, she taught drawing and painting at KyungHee University where she obtained her B.A and M.A in art education in the 70s. In her work, Lee has largely focused on the exploration of the geometrical formation of nature, capturing images of trees and rearranging them according to her analysis of lines and forms. Along with the careful construction of each space, she pays special attention to the texture of the canvas. While the geometrical mass is represented mainly in rectangular shapes, diagonal lines are added to create complex interplays of space. Her primary colours generate vibrant visual sensation, which are contrasted by the subdued painting surfaces. The simplicity of forms, selective palettes, and highly refined texture provoke a powerful emotional force. Her visual construction comes from her philosophy of balance. “I want viewers to see balance between natural life forms and pure energy within them. I try to symbolize the balanced state through geometrical dynamism”.
The depth and richness of Lee’s artistic vocabulary displays itself in her construction of meaning, in the sense that the simple images act as symbolic message from the artist. The unification of the geometrical interpretation of nature and the refining process of painterly composition brings together the unlimited possibility of abstract expression through the artist’s self-consciousness.
