[비즈한국] Artist Lee So, known as the "painter of wind," is holding a solo exhibition. Her exhibition, "Forest of Wind," will run until the 22nd at 8th Avenue Gallery, located in front of Kyung Hee University in Seoul. The exhibition features approximately 25 paintings, including new works, focusing on pieces that highlight the artist's signature intaglio painting technique and emotional minimalism.
Lee So’s works are the result of long, painstaking efforts that layer time upon time. She carves into canvases heavily coated with stone powder as if sculpting, then repeatedly applies multiple layers of color and sands them down. In the final stage, she covers the entire surface with a thin layer of white. Beneath this, dozens of layers of colors and traces remain. Depending on the direction of the light, these colors emerge subtly, creating a sense of form that appears simple yet is highly dense. As viewers move, the landscape seems to shift, as if a breeze were blowing.
This method of expression is an attempt to figuratively visualize the "invisible wind" on canvas. At first glance, it looks like a calm and restrained minimalist painting, but when viewed up close, the traces of time and emotion layered within become quietly apparent. Because completing a single work takes a significant amount of time, the process is an act of discipline for the artist—and, simultaneously, a time of healing.
Why does Lee So paint "wind"? The artist frequently takes walks through the forest to feel the wind, drawing inspiration from it for her work. That wind is not merely nature; it resembles childhood memories, solitary moments, and the instances where accumulated worries are washed away. Through such wind, she wishes to create a space of the heart where people can pause and breathe. "I hope that anyone weary from daily life can catch their breath and find rest in my 'Forest of Wind,'" the artist says.
Her paintings do not assert anything forcefully. Instead, they invite quiet contemplation, offering the viewer the comforting sense that "it is okay to rest for a while."
"Forest of Wind" is not simply a representation of nature, but a painting that accumulates and evokes memories and emotions. Through formal experimentation and the restraint of sensation, the artist demonstrates the modern potential for lyrical abstraction and emotional minimalism. This exhibition invites visitors to a quiet time of art where sensation and contemplation intersect.
Lee So majored in Fine Arts at the University of Paris VIII and its graduate school, and was a selected artist at the 47th Salon de Montrouge. She has held dozens of solo and group exhibitions to date and authored books including "Paris Art Museums Loved by Painters." She currently serves as a special professor in the Department of Painting at Suwon University.