Nogang Lee
Painter / Korea
ABOUT
Nogang Lee is a painter from South Korea. His art is about reinterpretation of symbols in Korean traditional art.
By using symbols, Korean ancestors expressed their thoughts in art. The thoughts are Confucian ideas, Taoism thoughts, wishing of comfortable and blissful life and protection against evilness. Taoism thoughts are depicted by the immortal hermit with miraculous powers. The ancestor made art with the symbols not only for appreciation, but also for sharing the thoughts with others.
The reason why he works with using reworked symbols is like the ancestor's way.
He chose symbols about comfortable and blissful life and Taoism thoughts mostly and then reinterpreted them in various ways. For example, he created Cat the Taoist Hermit that is literally combined with a cat and the Taoist Hermit. In ancient East Asia, a cat and a butterfly symbolize longevity. Because both pronunciations are similar with the age of the elderly in Chinese. The Taoist Hermit symbolizes immortality and transcendence. Therefore, Cat the Taoist Hermit means longevity and transcendence. A tortoise and ginsengs mean also long life. He want my viewer to have enjoyment from his works.
Solo exhibition
2019 Everything depends on the mind, Gallery Knot, Seoul Korea
2019 Mystical Creatures, Gallery Dos, Seoul Korea
2015 Traces of Memory, Willing n Dealing, Seoul Korea
2013 Study of the Fall of Dualism, Duru Artspace, Seoul Korea
2006 Endless Growing Library, N-Space (Gallery Golmok), Seoul Korea
Group exhibition
2020 Come across a dream, Gallery Ilho, Seoul Korea
2019 Arsene Artist 50, Gallery Misul segae, Seoul Korea
2019 Asia Contemporary Art Show, Hong Kong
2019 ARTASIA, KOEX Hall D2, Seoul Korea
2019 Attraction, Art Gallery in Dongdaemun-gu office, Seoul Korea
2017 Blind Date, Willingndealing, Seoul Korea
2016 Art Gyounggi 2016-STARTUP, Gyounggi Start up center, Pangyo Korea
2015 Makers, Gallery IS, Seoul Korea
2015 Art Campaign, various public institutions in Seoul, Korea
