Dongi Lee is a widely known Korean pop artist who works with popular cartoon-like images. He has attempted to show the result of cultural mixtures that combine two disparate codes such as pop characters like AtoMouse and abstract painting, which reflects our current society in which communication and harmony became a difficult task.

Dongi Lee received a BFA and MFA in Painting from Hongik University in Seoul, Korea, in 1990 and 1995, respectively. Blurring the boundaries between high and low art, Lee, as the first generation of Pop artists in Korea, appropriates prevalent themes from mass media and popular culture. His works are characterized by flat planes of color and graphic images often involving a character style, Atomous. As a matter of fact, his representative series of works titled Atomous is created by merging two distinctive characters: “Iron Arm Atom” from Japanese manga and “Mickey Mouse” from Walt Disney. Furthermore, his Atomous is an identity that is very much of our time – culturally specific yet ambiguous and heterogeneous. Becoming passionate about delivering popular culture through his works of art, Lee provides viewers with clues to a modern world, reflecting our perception of reality but also embracing the modernity of the  world in great detail.

Selected solo exhibitions include Ilmin Museum of Art in Seoul and selected group exhibitions include Kunsthalle Dresden, Beyond Art Space in Beijing, Alternative Space Loop in Seoul, National Art Museum of China in Beijing, Maison des Arts de Creteil in Paris, MOCA Shanghai, National Museum of Art Deoksugung in Seoul, Canvas International Art in Amsterdam, Sungkok Art Museum in Seoul, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Leeum in Seoul, Marronnier Art Center in Seoul, National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon and Artsonje Center in Seoul.

Collections

 

National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, Korea

Leeum - Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul

Ilmin Museum of Art, Seoul

Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul

ArtSonje Center, Seoul, Korea

Kumho Museum of Art, Seoul

Gana Art Center, Seoul

Maeil Dairies Co., Seoul

Savina Museum, Seoul

Seonam Cultural Foundation, Seoul

Wheelock Property, Hong Kong

UNEEC Culture and Education Foundation, Taipei

Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Taipei

Hite Collection, Seoul

NHN Corporation, Seongnam, Korea

Ssangyong Motor Company, Pyeongtaek, Korea

Hana Bank, Seoul