Lee Bae

Lee Bae is a South Korean visual artist born in 1956 in Cheongdo, South Korea. He is renowned for his distinctive use of black in his artworks, often utilizing charcoal as a primary medium. This choice of material is deeply symbolic, reflecting themes of transformation and the passage of time. Bae's work is characterized by its minimalist aesthetic and profound exploration of materiality, which has garnered significant attention in the contemporary art world. One of Lee Bae's notable achievements includes the display of a monumental 21-foot-high sculpture made entirely of charcoal at Rockefeller Center in New York City during the summer of 2023. This piece is part of his ongoing Issu de Feu series, which continues to explore the elemental and transformative qualities of fire and charcoal. Bae's work is celebrated for its meditative quality and its ability to evoke a sense of timelessness and introspection. Lee Bae lives and works in both Paris and Seoul, and he is represented by Galerie Perrotin. His works are collected for their unique approach to material and form, as well as their ability to engage viewers in a dialogue about nature, existence, and the ephemeral nature of life.