IL Lee

Il Lee’s ballpoint pen works on paper and canvas are innovative and historically grounded. Using ballpoint pens, Il Lee creates intimate to large-scale blue and black ink on white paper drawings and large format, subtly colored works on canvas. These works are contemporary and clearly reference traditional Asian ink painting while remaining accessible and conceptually rigorous. Lee’s work with its unorthodox media and distinctive style are widely appreciated by art-viewing audiences worldwide, with recent important exhibitions of his works at major museums, galleries, and cultural institutions both nationally and internationally. Il Lee’s critically acclaimed works are well documented in books, magazine publications, and other news media. The best-selling textbook Drawing: A Contemporary Approach [Fifth Edition (2004) and Sixth Edition (2007)], widely used in university art departments, places Lee’s work in the context of 20th Century trends in drawing along with other major contemporary artists. In 2007, Il Lee has been the subject of a critically-acclaimed mid-career retrospective at the San Jose Museum of Art and a solo exhibition at the Queens Museum of Art, New York.

For the full Artist Biography, download the PDF below.

IL LEE

• Born 1952 in Seoul, Korea. Lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

EDUCATION

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

PUBLICATIONS / CATALOGUES

• Armstrong, Charles K, et al. The Korean Wave, As Viewed Through the Pages of The New York Times 2007, reproduction, New York: Korean Cultural Service New York, 2008.
  
• Kleinberg, Joanna. IL LEE: Ballpoint Drawings, exhibition brochure, reproduction, New York: Queens Museum of Art, 2007.
• Northrup, JoAnne and Edward Leffingwell, foreword by Susan Landauer. Il Lee: Ballpoint Abstractions, exhibition catalogue, reproductions, San Jose: San Jose Museum of Art, 2007.
• Bakke, Erik, IL LEE: New Work, exhibition brochure, reproductions, New York: Art Projects International, 2006.
• Thompson, Cynthia. Above & Beneath, exhibition brochure, reproductions, Memphis, TN: Memphis College of Art, 2006.
• Wei, Lilly. Paris-NewYork: IL LEE, exhibition catalog, reproductions, New York: Korean Cultural Services NY, 2005.
• Gould, Philip. Il Lee: New Drawings and Paintings, exhibition catalog, reproductions, Art Projects International, New York, NY, 2004
• Kotik, Charlotta and Tumelo Mosaka. Open House: Working in Brooklyn, exhibition catalog, reproduction, New York: Brooklyn Museum of Art, 2004.
• Sale, Teel and Claudia Betti. Drawing: A Contemporary Approach, fifth edition, reproduction, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2004.
• Sanders, Jung Lee, ed. Art Projects International: Ten Years, reproductions, New York: Art Projects International, 2003.
• Choe, Wolhee. At the Crossroads, exhibition catalog, reproduction, New York: Korean Cultural Services NY, 2003.
• Oh, Kwang Su, and Kim Kyung Woon. New Acquisitions 2001, exhibition catalog, reproductions, Kwachon, Korea: National Museum of Contemporary Art, 2002.
• Sul, Won Gi. Il Lee: Recent Paintings, exhibition catalog, reproductions, Seoul: Gallery Woong, 1996.
• Chung, Joon Mo. Recent Paintings of Il Lee, exhibition catalog, reproductions, Seoul: Gallery Han Kook, 1993.
• Arte Contemporanea de Corea, exhibition catalog, reproduction, Mexico City: Museum of Modern Art, 1991.
• Cohen, C.J. Paintings by Il Lee, exhibition catalog, reproductions, Seoul: Hilton Gallery, 1987.
• Kim, Bok Young. The 1st International Drawing Biennale, exhibition catalog, reproduction, Seoul: SIFAC, 1984.
• Gould, Philip. Traditional Korean Pottery; Contemporary Korean Painting, exhibition catalog, reproduction, Bronxville, NY: Sarah Lawrence College, 1982.
• Work on Paper by Lee, Il, exhibition catalog, reproductions, Seoul: Space Art Gallery, 1982.
• Baro, Gene. Korean Drawing Now, exhibition catalog, reproduction, New York: Brooklyn Museum of Art, 1981.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Chung, Joon Mo. “Il Lee,” Shindonga, reproductions, Seoul, September 2008.
• Lee, Sun-Hwa. “Il Lee at the Vilcek Foundation, New York,” Art in Culture, reproductions, Seoul, July 2008.
• Museums: Exhibitions in the Americas, Art Asia Pacific Almanac 2008, New York, vol. 3, 2008.
• Voelz Chandler, Mary. “Captivating Simplicity,” Rocky Mountain News, reproduction, Denver, January 9, 2008.
• Park, Sukie. “Tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Queens Museum of Art with Artist Il Lee,” The Korea Daily, reproduction, New York, September 15, 2007.
• Clarkson, Lamar. “A Few Good Pens,” ARTnews, reproduction, New York, September 2007.
• Jeongho Nam. “Snowflakelike Ink Recalls a Distant Constellation, Foliage, or Stones,” Joongang Ilbo, reproduction, Seoul, August 13, 2007.
• “Il Lee Featured in The New York Times,” Donga Ilbo, reproduction, Seoul, August 13, 2007.
• In-chul Jang. “Painting of Many Lines… Deep Ink Markings are Mesmerizing,” Hankook Ilbo, reproductions, Seoul, August 13, 2007.
• “The New York Times Introduces Il Lee,” Yonhap News, Seoul, August 12, 2007.
• “Il Lee”, The New Yorker, New York, August 13, 2007.
• Genocchio, Benjamin. “To See the World in Ballpoint Pen,” The New York Times, review, reproduction, New York, August 10, 2007.
• Kim, Jin Hyae. “Il Lee Exhibition at the Queens Museum of Art,” Hankook Ilbo Magazine, reproductions, New York, August 6, 2007.
• Learmouth, Kate. “The Mountain’s Hold,” Living Art Magazine, reproduction, Derbyshire, England, issue 1, August 2007.
• Kim, Jin Hyae. “Il Lee at Queens Museum of Art”, The Korea Times, reproductions, New York, July 26, 2007.
• Park, Sukie. “Il Lee at Queens Museum Opens,” The Korea Daily, reproduction, New York, July 20, 2007.
• Baker, Kenneth. “Ballpoint Abstractions in San Jose.” San Francisco Chronicle, review, reproduction, San Francisco, July 7, 2007.
• “New This Month in U.S. Museums,” artnet, New York, July 1, 2007.
• Park, Sukie. “Il Lee at Queens Museum of Art,” The Korea Daily, reproduction, New York, June 15, 2007.
• Chung, Joon Mo. “Il Lee at San Jose Museum of Art.” Wolgan Misool, reproduction, Seoul, vol. 268, May 2007.
• Van Zandt, Jack. “Ballpoint Abstractions.” ¬San Jose Inside, review, San Jose, April 12, 2007.
• Wykes, Sara. “Beauty in Ballpoint: Distinctive Doodles by Il Lee are Collected in an Impressive Exhibit at S.J. Museum of Art.” The Mercury News, review, reproductions, San Jose, April 1, 2007.
• Ma, Kai. “The Mighty Pen: Artist Il Lee Illustrates the Power of the Ballpoint Pen.” KoreAm, reproductions, Gardena, California, vol. 18, no. 3, March 2007.
• Kim, Hong Ki. “Vast Universe Drawn with Ballpoint Pen.” Art in Culture, preview, reproductions, Seoul, March 2007.
• “Il Lee Ballpoint Abstractions at the San Jose Museum of Art.” Wolgan Misool, preview, reproduction, Seoul, vol. 266, March 2007.
• Jung, Youngwha. “The World of Ink Created with Ballpoint Pen.” The Korea Times, San Francisco, reproductions, March 21, 2007.
• Nam, Jeongho. “Special Exhibition of Il Lee in California.” Joong Ang Ilbo, reproduction, Seoul, March 20, 2007.
• Kim, Hyun Joon. “Il Lee Ballpoint Abstractions at the San Jose Museum of Art.” Yonhap News, reproduction, Seoul, March 19, 2007.
• Oh, Mee Hwan. “Il Lee Ballpoint Abstractions at the San Jose Museum of Art.” Hankook Ilbo, reproduction, Seoul, March 16, 2007.
• Gant, Michael S. “Whirls Enough and Time: Il Lee does Wonders with a Humble Ballpoint Pen.” Metro Silicon Valley, review, reproduction, Silicon Valley, March 14-20, 2007.
• Zimmerman, Heather. “Drawn In: Artist Il Lee Puts Pen to Paper—and Canvas—in a Unique Way.” Silicon Valley Community Newspapers, review, reproduction, Silicon Valley, March 14, 2007.
• Park, Sukie. “Retrospective of Il Lee at the San Jose Museum of Art.” The Korea Daily, reproduction, March 6, 2007.
• Yu, Ena. “Il Lee Ballpoint Abstractions at the San Jose Museum of Art.” The Korea Daily, March 1, 2007.
• Goodman, Jonathan. “Il Lee, Chun Kwang-Young and Lee Ufan: International Abstraction, Generational Trajectories.” Art AsiaPacific, reproduction, New York, no. 51, Winter 2006.
• Leffingwell, Edward. “Il Lee at Art Projects International,” Art in America, reproduction, New York, October 2006.
• Sanday, Jo. “New York Style: On the Block,” Scoop Insite, reproduction, Suibaco, Australia, 2006.
• Park, Sukie. “Il Lee.” The Korea Daily, reproductions, May 17, 2006.
• Bakke, Erik. “Just what is it that makes Il Lee’s art so different, so appealing?” Art in Culture, reproductions, Seoul, vol. 7, no. 4, April 2006.
• Wei, Lilly. “Beyond the Minimal,” Art in Culture, reproduction, Seoul, vol. 7, no. 4, April 2006.
• Knowles, Carol. “Where It’s At: New York artists chart body, mind, and spirit in Above & Beneath,” Memphis Flyer, review, Memphis, March 23-29, 2006.
• Koeppel, Fredric. “Looking into Above & Beneath,” The Commercial Appeal, review, Memphis, March 10, 2006.
• Kim, Jin Hyae. “Il Lee’s Ballpoint Pen Work Enters the Permanent Collection at the San Jose Museum of Art,” The Korea Times, reproduction, August 31, 2005.
• Hong, Mike. “Korean Artists’ Work Enters the Permanent Collection at the San Jose Museum of Art,” The Korea Daily, reproduction, August 24, 2005.
• Goodman, Jonathan. “Il Lee at Art Projects International,” Art AsiaPacific, review, reproduction, New York, no. 42, Fall 2004.
• Maine, Stephen. “Dateline Brooklyn,” Artnet, review, reproduction, New York, May 26, 2004.
• Gilbert, Debora. “Open House Show at Brooklyn Museum of Art,” Greenline, reproduction, New York, June 4-30, 2004.
• Chung, Shinyoung. “Marking: Drawings by Contemporary Artists from Korea,” Art AsiaPacific, review, New York, no. 40, Spring 2004.
• Malhotra, Priya. “A Week of Surprises,” Asian Art News, reproduction, Hong Kong, vol. 14, no. 1, January/February 2004.
• Harrison, Helen A. “All about the Delicacy and Energy of the Line,” The New York Times, review, reproduction, November 23, 2003.
  
• Halle, Howard. “Making a Big Scene,” BKLYN, reproduction, New York, Fall 2003.
• McNatt, Glenn. “Korean art, with a Western twist,” The Baltimore Sun, May 28, 2003.
• Bakke, Erik. “Il Lee, Line and Form: Drawings 1984-1996,” Space, review, reproduction on cover, Seoul, vol. 354, April 1997.
• Kingsley, April. “Il Lee/Art Projects International,” Review, review, New York, February 1, 1997.
  
• Guest, Robert. “Soda Bottles, a Turtle Ship and Minjung,” ARTnews, February 1994.
• Suh, Jeung Gul. Wolgan Misool, review, reproduction, Seoul, June 1993.
• Park, Woo-Chan. Space, review, reproduction, Seoul, no. 308, June 1993.
• Lee, Byeong Yong. “Korean Artist Working Abroad,” Gallery, Seoul, Summer 1988.
• Kim, Soo Min. “Il Lee’s Methodology,” The Sae Gae Times, New York, May 15, 1986.
• Raynor, Vivian. “12 Korean Artists Show at Thorpe,” The New York Times, reproduction, February 16, 1986.
• Rhee, Ja Kyung. The Korea Central Daily, review, Los Angeles, April, 30 1984.
• “New Face: Recent 8 Drawing Works of Il Lee,” Space, Seoul, October 1982.

TELEVISION AND RADIO

• “Il Lee: Ballpoint Drawings at Queens Museum of Art,” SBS-TV News, Seoul, Korea, August 27, 2007.
• “Il Lee: Ballpoint Abstractions at San Jose Museum of Art,” KBS-TV 7:00 News, Seoul, Korea, March 26, 2007.
• “Il Lee: Ballpoint Abstractions at San Jose Museum of Art,” NBC 11 News, California, March 9, 2007.
• “Il Lee,” New York Radio Korea, New York, March 8, 2007.
• “Il Lee: Paris/New York,” KBS-TV 9:30 News, Seoul, Korea, October 15, 2005.

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

• San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, California
• National Museum of Contemporary Art, Kwachon, Korea
• Total Museum, Seoul, Korea
• Han-Kook Museum, Yong-In, Korea
• Han Lim Museum, De Jeon, Korea
• Hong-Ik University, Seoul, Korea
• Duk-Sung Women’s University, Seoul, Korea