Solo Exhibitions (Brief)

Lee Dongwook's major solo exhibitions include 《Inbreeding》(2003, KEPCO Plaza, Seoul), 《Breeding Pond》(2006, Arario Gallery Seoul), 《Cross Breeding》(2008, Avanthay Gallery, Zurich), 《Love Me Tender》(2012, Doosan Gallery, New York), 《Love Me Sweet》(2012, Arario Gallery Seoul), 《Back Gardens》(2013, Charlotte Lund Gallery, Stockholm), 《All the Interesting》(2016, Perigee Gallery, Seoul), 《Low Tide》(2016, ARARIO MUSEUM Dongmun Motel II, Jeju), and 《Red and Shiny》(2024, Arario Gallery Seoul).

Group Exhibitions (Brief)

Lee Dongwook has participated in numerous group exhibitions, including 《A Slice of Contemporary Art》(2003, LCM Gallery, Ilsan), 《Alchemy of Daily Life》(2004, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon), 《Beautiful Cynicism》(2005, Arario Gallery Beijing, Beijing), 《Peppermint Candy: Korean Contemporary Art Touring Central and South America》(2007, Museum of Contemporary Art, Santiago), 《Disturbed: New Art from Korea》(2007, Peres Projects, Berlin), 《Korean Eye: Moon Generation》(2009, Standard Chartered First Bank, Seoul & Saatchi Gallery, London), 《Who Is Alice?》(2013, Lightbox, Venice), 《Multiple Languages》(2014, Silverlens Gallery, Manila, Philippines), 《Like-Ness》(2016, Albertz Benda Gallery, New York), 《Endless Column》(2018, Arario Gallery Ryse Hotel, Seoul), 《Trauma: Shooting the Pulitzer & 15 Minutes》(2021, Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon), 《SIZE Does Matter: too big & too small》(2022, Koo House Museum, Yangpyeong), 《Romantic Irony》(2023, Arario Gallery Seoul, Seoul), and 《For a New Natural Contract》(2023, Bucheon Art Bunker B39, Bucheon).

Collections (Selected)

Lee's works are part of many significant collections such as National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Korea), Seoul Museum of Art (Korea), Burger Collection (Hong Kong), Rubell Family Collection (US), Today Art Museum (China) and more. 

Originality & Identity

Lee Dongwook explores the complex relationships humans face within society and the absurdity embedded within them. Since the early 2000s, he has critically addressed the images and commercial tactics derived from mass-produced products within consumer society and capitalist systems. His works, such as Green Giant (2003-2004) and Dolphin Safe (2003), part of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's collection, literalize the packaging images and promotional texts of consumer goods into three-dimensional objects. By emphasizing the discrepancy between the actual contents and the product's image, he critiques the deception of commercial imagery and the artificiality of consumer culture.

From the 2010s onwards, Lee shifted his focus to the dynamics of social relationships and power structures, exploring the complex emotions and tensions experienced by individuals within these contexts. In Good Boy (2012), he depicts a paradoxical situation where a human who seemingly controls a pack of dogs is, in reality, also subjected to suppression and control.

Recently, Lee has begun experimenting with abstract sculptures using diverse materials to symbolically explore the essence of human existence, without necessarily depicting the human form. All the Interesting (2016) combines minerals of various shapes and sizes to metaphorically represent the individuality and interconnectedness of beings, reflecting on society or the world as a collective entity. This exploration continues in his latest work Shiny (2024), which emphasizes contrasting textures and surfaces of silver objects, inviting viewers to contemplate the duality between surface and essence.

Style & Contents

Lee Dongwook's art spans a wide range of materials and media, from miniature human figures sculpted with Sculpee clay to large-scale installations and abstract objects. His practice has continually evolved to maximize visual stimulation and sensory experiences. In his early career (2000s), Lee primarily used Sculpee, a type of polymer clay, to create small, detailed human figures. He juxtaposed these figures with grotesque commercial imagery to satirize the contradictions of consumerism.

After 2010, Lee's work increasingly focused on the visual properties of his materials. He began to juxtapose disparate elements, enhancing sensory perception and aesthetic impact. In Love Me Sweet (2012), he crafted a beehive-like trophy that collapses under the weight of overflowing honey, symbolizing the irony of glory and decline, victory and downfall. This work not only delivers visual stimulation but also narrates the inevitable collapse following the sweetness of triumph, thereby exploring the complex layers of human desire and ambition.

Inspired by the traditional East Asian practice of stone collecting, All the Interesting (2016) utilizes vibrantly colored stones gathered from around the world to reveal the individuality of each object while simultaneously constructing a collective landscape. This work explores how disparate entities come together to form an organic whole, reflecting on the interconnectedness of beings within a shared environment.

The theme of heterogeneous entities forming a unified organism continues to develop in his later works. In his 2024 solo exhibition 《Red and Shiny》 at Arario Gallery, Lee expanded his exploration of materiality. In the large-scale installation Shiny (2024), he magnified the textures and surface sensations of silver objects, creating visual collisions with branches coated in platinum and silver wrapping strings. This tactile interplay of surfaces invites viewers to explore the philosophical questions of material essence and human identity. In Seven Knights (2024), Lee depicts red human figures symbolizing vitality while metaphorically representing individuals trapped within societal structures. His recent works continue to abstractly visualize existential inquiries by experimenting with visual stimulation and materiality.

Through his exploration of sensory perception and material experimentation, Lee Dongwook consistently examines the tension between reality and illusion, surface and essence, and triumph and decline. His works not only provide visual pleasure but also serve as a medium for deep contemplation of human existence and social structures.

Topography & Continuity

Lee Dongwook is renowned for his whimsical yet thought-provoking combinations of diverse objects, which offer a satirical portrayal of contemporary human existence. Initially, he focused on criticizing the absurdity and alienation in capitalist consumer society. However, his thematic exploration expanded over time to encompass the complex relationships between individuals within larger societal systems and a philosophical inquiry into the essence of materiality.

Lee's international recognition includes participation in group exhibitions at prestigious venues such as the Saatchi Gallery in London (2009) and Silverlens Gallery in Manila, Philippines (2014). Additionally, his works are part of notable collections, including the Rubell Family Collection. Through these achievements, Lee has established a unique artistic language that visualizes materiality, interconnectedness, and existential questions, earning him a prominent position in the contemporary art scene. His continued evolution from figurative sculptures to abstract installations demonstrates his commitment to exploring the complexities of human identity and existence, paving the way for his ongoing influence on global contemporary art discourse.