Lee Chae

Lee Chae (b. 1989, Seoul) is a Korean artist whose abstract paintings draw inspiration from nature’s quiet cycles of growth and transformation. His works do not merely replicate botanical forms but reimagine them through a personal visual language. By repeatedly applying and wiping away layers of oil paint, Lee creates surfaces that embody both presence and erasure, echoing the rhythms of budding, blooming, and fading in the natural world.

This meditative process reflects his philosophy of confronting an image-saturated society with patience and clarity. For Lee, repetition is not only a painterly technique but also a way of cultivating inner emotions and inscribing them over time—like a seed slowly maturing into a tree. His practice resonates with the traditions of Korean Dansaekhwa, where process and materiality are central, yet his symbolic use of conceptual flora distinguishes his work within contemporary abstraction. Each canvas thus becomes a site where growth and resilience are quietly affirmed.

His work has been exhibited widely across Asia—in Seoul, Beijing, and Taipei—and further afield in London. His exhibitions include Wind Flower (OKNP, Seoul, 2025), Boundless Forms and Colors (Whitestone Gallery, Beijing, 2024), The Color Blue, (Whitestone Gallery, Seoul, 2024), Melody Blue (Whitestone Gallery, Taipei, 2024), Stories of Serenity (Han Collection, London, 2022), and Brushstrokes that Stole Nature (Superior Gallery, Seoul, 2025). His practice has also been presented at major art fairs such as ART021 Beijing, KIAF Seoul, Art Busan and Art Taipei.

Lee’s works are held in public and corporate collections, including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) – Art Bank, Seoul Metropolitan Government Museum Division, Lotte Hotel World, and LF Maestro, among others.