3 Apr 2008 — 26 Apr 2008

 Dongi Lee's page
Dongi Lee
BUBBLES

The two one-man exhibitions, Double Vision and Bubbles of Dongi Lee, who has consistently developed his unique character, Atomaus, for last 15 years, are presented. Atomaus, born from the combination of the American animation character Mickey Mouse and the Japanese animation character Atom in the winter of 1993, has been widely appreciated by many people through its popular, friendly images. Now active both at home and abroad, Lee has been regarded as a representative Asian Pop artist who has fully embraced Korean Pop art. Closely associated with mass culture in areas such as cartoon, fashion, film, and music, Lee’s work has been a focus of attention as it presents a mechanism for the popularity in Pop Art. Recently, his work has shown more diverse, complicated elements, departing from simple colors and forms. In the beginning, Atomaus was merely a symbol juxtaposed with other elements. His canvas, filled with neatly rendered lines and colored areas, is closely linked to certain elements of cartoons and animations. His work is imbued with his own artistic philosophy that aims to pursue completely ‘non-subjective work’, breaking away from the subjective world.

Atomaus has continuously been transformed and earnestly explored by the artist. It is incorporated into abstract painting and has developed into a more complicated, three-dimensional form. As the title Double Vision suggests, this exhibition deals with the themes of equilibrium and coexistence between two heterogeneous, contrasting spheres such as abstraction and figuration, matter and non-matter, high-brow art and mass culture, the sublime and simulacara, heaviness and lightness, and reality and illusion. Featured in this show are 10 large-scale canvas paintings in which intense colors, energy, and shadow effects are in harmony with the metaphysical, spiritual aspects of abstract art.

Showcased in Bubbles exhibition are 20 pieces that feature Atomaus’s proliferating images. This series of works shows a myriad of Atomaus faces that were exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in Paris, Taipei, and Beijing in 2007. This exhibition at Gallery 2 to be held after two years since 2006 will be a special opportunity to showcase the extensive spectrum of his art. 
BUBBLES
Acrylic on linen
300 X 400 cm
2008