Jongkuk Lee
This Year’s Leslie Jackson Chair

Opening Reception: June 13th, 4pm - 6pm

Jongkuk Lee, a renowned nature artist, specializes in Hanji (Korean traditional paper). Hismaterials are sourced from nature, even from his homegrown, paper mulberry trees. He is currently based in Cheongju, South Korea, where he serves as Director of Mabuel Gallery. In the 1990s, Lee settled in Bulat Village near Cheongju, which was long famous for its tradition of making Hanji, but as the demand for Hanji declined due to urbanization and industrial development, few were left in the village to continue the tradition. Lee’s passion for making Hanji, as well as his perspectives on the creative process as part of nature’s symbiotic relationship with humans, has been a driving force for the revitalization of Hanji in the village. Lee prompts us to reflect on how we can turn resources into artwork and commodities. He strives to create objects by examining the qualities and usability of different natural materials such as bamboo and silver grass (common reed). This approach to art is his way of responding to the current global ecological crisis.