Young-Sik Lee

Germany

LEE, Young-Sik born in Seoul, South Korea, has been studying, living and working as a freelance artist in Berlin since 2002. Under the title “Metaphor”, LEE mainly shows large-format works with colorful, emblematic animal-human scenes that can be described as a sequence or variation of a single motif. In addition to the question of the metaphorical powers of images, the question can also be asked whether images as a whole can be a metaphor. The word "metaphor" comes from the Greek and means "transference". In modern art, the term stands for the symbolic use of parable pictures or as a synonym for allegory.
It is always images from different worlds that are assembled by LEE. Influenced by China's culture as the oldest culture in Asia, he uses detailed representation in combination with play of colors in his work to perfection. He attaches the greatest importance to conveying a certain mood that casts a spell over the viewer
Animals are deprived of their natural environment like the crocodile that emerges from the dark. His scaly armor shimmers brightly like mother-of-pearl in the light, his snout is wide open and in front of him is a dead bird. A closer look reveals a bizarre detail: on the floor there is a tote bag, a cultural asset of our time. Crocodiles live in symbiosis with birds, they are also the closest recent relatives of the dinosaurs. The picture is titled "Narcissus and Farewell". The meaning of this title is immediately apparent and is not in need of any further explanation. What remains is horror, LEE calls it: "The aesthetics of horror". When I start painting, the invisible becomes visible. Figures change, I relish the metamorphosis that comes with inspiration. LEE breaks down the lines between human and animal behavior. The atmosphere of the images and, upon closer inspection, the metaphorical references also reveal subliminal levels of meaning. His painting reflects today's times and the way "in which we submit to the world".

Anson Liaw

Marie Arpin