Like the Scent of a Lilac

• Woodcut

Chul Soo Lee (b. 1954) was born in South Korea where he continues to reside and work. Lee began his artistic studies at an early age without formal training. His first major exhibition was held at Seoul’s Kwanhoon Gallery in 1981.

In the late 1980s, Lee settled on a small rice farm in Jecheon, Chungbuk Province, where he balances farming with his art practice, connecting his passion for the environment with his care for people. Lee’s early work focused on major Korean social and political issues as a member of the Min-jung Art Movement (Democratic Art Movement for the People).

His later work is characterized by minimal compositions and a peaceful Zen philosophy. As a Zen Buddhist practitioner, Lee is a keen observer of daily events in his home village as well as the relationships that humans have with the natural environment, their families and neighbors, and globally.

His expertly crafted woodcut prints printed on traditional, handmade mulberry paper, pair images with poetry, in a minimal yet profound style. Lee’s woodcuts have been exhibited internationally including in Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, South Africa, and throughout Korea.

In 2003, Davidson Galleries was honored to exhibit his work for the first time in the United States.