Seahyun Lee reconciles the past and the present to continue his series ‘Between Red’. The oil paintings are inspired by his time in the Korean military, during which he was stationed at the Demilitarized Zone - an area that serves as a physical buffer between North and South Korea. From memory, he creates detailed landscape paintings of the iconic region, rendered in shades of crimson that simultaneously reference the infrared goggles the artist wore while on night watch, and highlight the complicated and painful legacy of his homeland. His scenes are likewise ripe with symbolism, serving as a solemn reminder of past conflicts on these seemingly peaceful grounds. Lee’s paintings are not overtly political, but they purposefully combine elements of the North and South Korean terrains, merging the two halves of the divided Korean peninsula in a gesture that seems both nostalgic and utopian.
b.1967, Lives and Works in Seoul
EDUCATION
1989 BFA Department of Western Painting, Hongik University, Seoul
2001 MFA Department of Painting, Hongik University, Seoul
2006 MFA Department of Art, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
- Red Sansu: A Landscape Within (curated by CHOI&CHOI Gallery),Michael Horbach Stiftung, Cologne
2023
- Red Sansu: A Landscape Within (curated by CHOI&CHOI Gallery), Bermel von Luxburg Gallery, Berlin
- Beyond Red - Sansu, Shinsegae Gallery, Seoul
2022
- CONTEXT, Gallery KUZO, Seoul
2021
- Between the Red: Golden Age, White K Gallery, Goyang
2020
- Lee Sea Hyun, The Columns Gallery, Singapore
2019
- Red Sansu, Gallery Bundo, Daegu, Korea
2018
- Red Sansu : The Moments, Shinsegae Gallert Centum City, Busan, Korea
2015
- Red- Silly Dream, Mimesis Art Museum, Paju, Korea
2014
- Between Red, VOUS ETES ICI Gallery, Amsterdam
2012
- Plastic Garden, Hakgojae Gallery, Seoul
2011
- Between Red, Nicholas Robinson Gallery, New York
2009
- Between Red, Zonca & Zonca Gallery, Milan
- Between Red, Harewood House, Leeds, UK
- Between Red, ASPEX Contemporary Art Gallery, Portsmouth, UK
- Between Red, Union Gallery, London
- Between Red, One and J Gallery, Seoul
2007
- Between Red, MIKI WICK KIM Contemporary Art, Zurich, Switzerland
2001
- Daily, Contemporary Museum of Hongik University, Seoul
1999
- THE, Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Yangju, Korea
1998
- The Navel of Sea, 21st Century Gallery, Seoul
1997
- The Garden of Narcissus, Deokweon Gallery, Seoul
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
- HUMAN, CHOI&CHOI Gallery, Seoul
- The Hidden Masterpiece part II., Gallery BK, Seoul
2022
- Trace of The Blue Marble ,Yeosu International Art Festival, Yeosu Expo D Exhibition Hall, Yeosu, Korea
- Sea Hyun Lee, Young Wook Choi, ROA Gallery, Incheon
- FLOWER, CHOI&CHOI Gallery, Seoul
- Berlin meets Seoul–Menschsein / Being Human, CHOI&CHOI Gallery, Seoul (Nov.) and Bermel von Luxburg Gallery, Berlin (March)
2021
- Border Crossings - North and South Korean Art from The Sigg Collection, Konst Museum, Bern, Switzerland
- ILLUSION : Between Reality and Fantasy, KUZO Gallery,Seoul, Korea
- BVLGARI Colors, Hangaram Art Museum,Seoul, Korea
- Landscape, Artcode Gallery, Seoul
- SU: HANNAM Selected works Private Viewing, SU: HANNAM Art Consulting
2020
- ATELIER AKI 10th Anniversary Part Ⅱ _ ENDLESS : Extended Sight, ATELIER AKI
- Roses are red, violets are blue., SU: HANNAM Art Consulting
2019
- DMZ, Culture Station Seoul 284, Seoul
2018
- Gyeonggi Millennium Docufesta, Gyeonggi Archive-Now,Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Anshan, Korea
- Gyeonju International Residency Art Festa 2018. Through-Harmony, Hwangnyongsa Historic Museum, Gyeonju, Korea
- Pohang Steel Art Festival, Pohang, Korea
- Wall of Vision , Art Delight Gallery, Seoul, Korea
- TR3S ESPEJOS DE COREA, Museo Nacional de las Culturay del Mundo, Mexico
- The Third Print, HOMO ARCHIVIST, Dohing Art, Seuol, Korea
- Jeju 4,3 is Now Our History, National Museum of Korean, Seoul, Korea
- Korean Cultural Center Hong Kong Grand Opening Exhibition, Bloming at the Junction, Korean Cultural Center Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- 2017
- Unccd Cop 13 “Save The Eath” Green Corps Exhibition, Planting for Hope, Land for Life, Ordos International Convention and Exhibition Center, Ordos Inner Mongolia, China
- Neo – naturalism, Ilwoo Space, Seoul, Korea
- Six Perspective on Landscape, Muan Seungwoo Oh Museum of Art, Muan, Korea
- KOREA TOMORROW2017, Narrative Landscape, Sungkok Art Museum, Seoul, Korea
2016
- Hybridizing Earth Discussing Multitude, Busan Biennale, Korea, Busan
- OLD & NEW: Yesterday is the discipline through which we advance- Homage to Kansong, Dongdaemun
- Design Plaza Kansong Museum. Seoul, Korea
- Black, White, Red . ART SPACE BEN, Seoul, Korea.
- “Please Return to Busan Port”, Vestfossen Museum, Norway
- April the Eternal Voyage, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Anshan, Korea
- EAST BRIDGE 2016 – Plastic Garden, Total Museum, Seoul, Korea
- Contemporary Sansuhwa, Pearl Lam Gallery, Hong Kong
2015
- EAST BRIDGE 2016 – Plastic Garden, Force Gallery, Beijing 798, China
- “Have a Good day, Mr, Kim”, Choi & Lager Gallery, Cologne, Germany
- L’exposition de” Seoul ‘Vite Vite’ a Tripostal, Lille, Commissaire, France
2014
- Korea Tomorrow, Dongdaemun Design Plaza Museum, Seoul
- The Moment, We Awe, Sanshang Contemporary Art Museum, Hangzhou, China
- Sweet Dew- since 1980, Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall, Gwangju, Korea
- Neo-Sansu, Daegu Art Museum, Daegu, Korea
2013
- Pulse of Sight, Hakgojae Shanghai, Shanghai
- Real Landscape of the day, Gyeomjae Jeongseon Memorial Museum, Seoul
- The Moment, We Awe, HOW Art Museum, Wenzhou, China
2012
- (Im)Possible Landscape, PLATEAU, Seoul
- Cynical Resistance, Canvas International Art, Amsterdam
- One must imagine Sisyphus happy, House of the Nobleman, London
- Prelude, Space Cottonseed, Singapore
2011
- 彼我同一: We are who you are, Gallery Jijihyang, GyeongGi, Korea
- Sea of Peace, Incheon Art Platform, GyeongGi, Korea
- he Future Pass, International Art Exhibition “ILLUMInations Biennale Venezia”, Venezia, Italy
- Bad Exhibition, PIN Gallery, Beijing
- 2010-11 Korean Art Issue 2010: Art of National Division – The Flower on the Snow, Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon, Korea
2010
- Plastic Garden, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai
- The Accursed Share, Gallery Artside, Beijing
- New Organ, Space* C, Seoul
- Different Similarity, Museum Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Here and There – The World in Motion 2010, LuXun Academy of Fine Art, Beijing, Shenyang, China; Seoul, Busan
2009
- Trans Real-My Hometown, Asia House, London
- City net Asia 2009, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul
- After Gogo: New Era of Korean Art, 2009 Ljubliana Graphic Biennale, Cankarjev Dom Gallery, Ljubliana, Slovenia
- A Different Similarity, Santralistanbul Museum, Istanbul
- Korea on the Rocks, Art Seasons Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland
2008
- Reshaping the Landscape, Neuberger Museum of Art, New York
- My Name is Red, FURINI Arts Contemporanea, Arezzo, Italy
- 4482 Korean Artists in London, Bargehouse OXO Tower Wharf, London
- Asian Art in London, Of Origin and Future, I – MYU Projects, London
- Landslide, I – MYU Project, London
2007
- Sense of Moment, Cais Gallery, Hong Kong 4482: Korean Contemporary Artists in London, King’s park Studio, London
- Late at Tate Britain, Fold07 performance, Tate Britain, London
- The Catlin Art Prize 2007, My Life in Art Gallery, London
- Salon Nouveau, Engholm Engelhorn Gallery, Vienna
2006
- Susak Expo, Island of Susak, Croatia
- Still Dynamics, Jerwood Space, London
2003
- Difference of Time, Noam Gallery, Seoul
2001
- Humidity, Kwanhoon Gallery, Seoul
Origin, Sejong Centre for the Performing Arts, Seoul
1999
- Korea-Australia Exchange Exhibition, Dansoung Gallery, Seoul
Origin, Gang Gallery, Seoul
Cord-New Image, Hongik Museum of Art, Seoul
1998
- Millennium, Hyundai Art Gallery, Seoul
1997
- FROG, Dukwon Gallery, Seoul
- WSIN WIND NOW ‘97, Museum of Hunabaci, Japan
1994
- Korea – Japan Modern Art Exchange, Arts Hall, Seoul
- Turning Point of Concept Toward 2000, Seoul Arts Center, Seoul
- Subconscious of 20 People, Chung Nam Art Gallery, Seoul
- Self Portrait – A Net of Time, Arts Hall, Seoul
1993
- Young Views, Mikun Gallery, Seoul
- Self Search of Correspondent, Beakah Museum, Daegu, Korea
- 1993-96 The 4-8 Walking People, Dukwon Gallery, ChungNam Museum, Kwanhoon Museum, Seoul
1992
- KEY, InDeco Gallery, Seoul
- New Generation Painting’s Cross-Section, Kyungin Gallery, Seoul
1989
- SYNDROME, Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul
- New Artists, KoKung Museum, Seoul
- Space Experience Through Painterly Eyes, Kwanhoon Museum, Seoul
- Glass Table>, Do-Wol Gallery, Seoul
- From Human, Matter, and Existence, Kwanhoon Museum, Seoul
- ‘89 – Direction, Do-Wol Gallery, Seoul
1988
- The 7th Korea Art Fair, National Museum of Modern Art, Gwacheon
- The 11th Central Art Fair, Ho-Wahm Art Hall, Seoul
1986
- The 9th Central Art Fair, National Museum of Modern Art, Gwacheon
Selected Public Collections
All Visual Arts, London
Bank of America, USA
Berger Collection, Zurich, Switzerland
Collection of Lorraine, Barrick, Seattle, USA
Fidelity Investment, Boston, USA
Hana Bank Collection, Seoul
Microsoft Art Collection, USA
Uli Sigg Collection, Zurich
LEEUM Collection, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul
National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea
Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul
Art Bank, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea
HOW Art Museum, Shanghai, China