Lee Ufan

Private Collection, Asia (acquired directly from the artist)
Acquired by the present owner from the above

This work is in very good condition overall. The colors are bright fresh and clean. There is evidence of light wear and handling along the edges including some hairline craquelure at the pull margins. Under very close inspection there is a pinpoint spot accretion visible 15 inches from the left edge and 2 1/2 inches from the lower edge. Under Ultraviolet light inspection there are three minor and unobtrusive abrasions which fluoresce lightly in the upper right quadrant but do not to be the result of restoration. Framed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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Lee Ufan is a leading Korean abstract artist who has been at the heart of the Asian abstract art movement since its rise in the 1960s and subsequent development. Associated with both the Mono-ha artists from Japan as well as the Dansaekhwa movement taking place in Korea, Ufan is recognized by his many enchanting and meditative works featuring unmatched poetry, minimalism, and his unique personal philosophy that has guided his artistic endeavors.

The present work is from Ufan’s iconic From Line series which reflects the artist’s ruminations on matters that span from the concepts of materiality, the contentions between real and unreal, nature and the passage of time. Set against naturally toned backgrounds, paintings in this series feature lengths of cobalt pigments that cascade down the composition in organized columns, fading as they near the center of the canvas. In consenance with the artist's philosophy, the lines that form each mesmerizing stroke represent the universal starting point of all art forms, from Western oil painting to Eastern ink painting. To accentuate the impact of each stroke, Ufan fuses pigment with strong glue, so that both the beginnings and ends of each line can be easily seen. 

By the end of the 1960s, Lee Ufan began an official probe into the notion of space, materiality, and matter, which later led to Mono-ha (literally “the School of Things” in Japanese), a group in which the artist was a pioneering member. In 1975, Lee Ufan wrote, “The only way I can bring about events in which the world subtly resonates between myself and the canvas is to hold a brush in my hand. The hand becomes an eye that fuses and concentrates all five senses and sees things whole through the process of expression” (Lee Ufan quoted in Exhibition Catalogue, London, Lisson Gallery, The Art of Encounter, 2008, p. 25). Perhaps an extension of his mind, the ink strokes are reminiscent of calligraphy and Asian ink paintings, and hark back to Ufan's boyhood training in classical Eastern aesthetics and poetry.

The depth of Ufan’s art is the result of a lifetime of meditation and study. In his formative years, the artist undertook lessons in traditional calligraphy, Eastern painting, poetry, fiction writing and oil painting. After graduating from Seoul National University in 1956 Ufan moved to Japan where he enrolled at the Nihon University in Tokyo and studied philosophy and subsequently took up nihonga (traditional Japanese painting) at a private institution in 1961. Ufan’s plethora of experiences in different fields of art in conjunction with the artist’s interest in Western aesthetics ultimately led to a unique style of abstraction that conjures elements of both the East and West.