Artist World Full of
National Spirit
Painter Lee depicts fables, tales, history, warm,
and naive families in his unique style

Lee Manik is an artist who represents Korea and who has for a long time seriously dealt with popular topics or a view of history and family. His works are popular to the general public because one can easily relate to them. So writes art critic Kim Mi-jin. His works express our nation's traditional fables and tales, history and the warm and naive families, with moderation of shapes and colors so that they are understandable to all.
Lee started drawing in 1951 when he was in middle school. He drew a great amount of sketches and paintings during his 50-year art career. This had given him his characteristic style that makes him stand out from the rest. It is believed that the artist's characteristic style, which consists of simple and lucid shapes that is full of strong energy, will be long remembered in the history of Korean art.
One can find in the art pieces in this exhibition, the true side of our country that is hard to see these days where everything seems to change every second. The Manik Lee exhibition has a meaningful value in our nation's current situation.
In Lee's artwork, there are three themes; history, tales, and family. The works are drawn in the artist's characteristic sensitive descriptive style that is full of strong energy but never overdone.
The family theme pieces are ones that have amazingly captured by the warm and happy family in a beautiful nature, background that is full of lyricism.
"Family picnic, 2004?shows a family picnicking outdoors in the spring, which is a picture of a bright sunny spring day with full blossom flowers are every where. There is a mother with a food plate on her head. The father has his little daughter on his shoulder, while holding a basket full of flowers. The last member of the family, the boy, has the bottle of liquor on his head.
"Spring picnic, 2003"shows a loving family, that seems to be planning a bright future, sitting side by side on the riverbank that is full of blooming magnolias.The mother theme is the one of the artist's favorites.
The artist likes to show in his work the warm loving mother holding the child in her arms or lying together side by side. It might be the precious childhood memories of the artist himself. One thing for sure is that it is hard to find these days and that we should always strive for.
Lee tries to express the simple na?ve native beauty that the general public easily understands. The following is an except from Lee Gwang-su's "Art and Life" published in the January edition of the magazine, "Gyebeok" in 1922. "Art and Life" had fulfilled the prediction that "an art which is our nation's characteristic will appear' " The people of our country cannot yet be moved or touched by complicated and subtle things. What they enjoy are things that are simple and na?ve. For example, a definite curve drawn in a thick line. In colors, it would be solid color instead of a compound color.
A healthy popular arts will stem from the simple and na?ve arts."Painter Lee told President-Publisher of NewsWorld Elizabeth M. Oh that the most important thing to an artist is style. He or she should have his or her own character to become a successful artist. They should not imitate others and have their own characteristic style to achieve success as an artist, the painter said.
He decided to find his own style in painting themes related to history, culture and society, the areas very familiar to him, especially internal senses, he said.
He borrowed heavily from dancheong colors in the ceilings of Buddhist temples in the country. His painting style emerged following his study in Paris from 1973 to 1976. His style became simple, although he sought to take on expressionistic academism early in his life. He painted a poster for the opera "Last Express"and again a poster for the upcoming Pusan International Film Festival Oct. 6-14 in Busan.

Seo Gallery held a solo exhibition of Lee Manik's work from May 19-June 30 on the occasion of two-year anniversary of its founding. nw

Sisters(Poster for PIFF) | 112x162cm | Oil on Canvas | 2003

The Last Empress | 91x73cm | Oil on Canvas | 1997

Family Portrait | 46x53cm | Oil on Canvas | 2005

Children in Woods 130x162cm | Oil on Canvas | 2003

Painter Lee Manik