Lee Ufan

Born in 1936 in Haman-gun (Korea), LEE UFAN lives and works in Paris (France) and Kamakura (Japan). He is the main theorist and artist of the Mono-ha (« School of Things ») theory in Japan. His paintings greatly contribute to « Korean Monotone Art ». Kamel Mennour and Lee Ufan have been working together since 2013.

His work has been seen around the world, at institutions including the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, the Guggenheim Museum and the Dia:Beacon in New York, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, the Yokohama Museum of Art, the Jeu de Paume in Paris, Centre Pompidou-Metz, the Kunstmuseum in Bonn, the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul; and at events including the Biennales of Venice (2007, 2011), Gwangju, Korea (2000, 2006), Shanghai (2000), Sydney (1976), São Paulo (1973) and Paris (1971). In 2014, Lee Ufan was the guest artist at Louis XIV’s very own park and palace, in Versailles.

He was awarded the Praemium Imperiale for painting in 2001 and the UNESCO Prize in 2000. In 2010, the Lee Ufan Museum opened at Benesse Art Site, in Naoshima, Japan.

In April 2022, the artist inaugurates the new foundation Lee Ufan Arles, housed in the Hôtel Vernon, a seventeenth century building located near the city’s Roman arena, remodelled by the artist’s friend, architect Tadao Ando.

Works

Exhibition view, Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, Berlin - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, Berlin, 2023
Exhibition view, Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, Berlin - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, Berlin, 2023
Exhibition view, Punta della Dogana, Venice - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Punta della Dogana, Venice, 2023
Exhibition view, Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, 2023
Exhibition view, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Kobe - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Kobe, 2022
Exhibition view, The National Art Center, Tokyo - © Mennour
Exhibition view, The National Art Center, Tokyo, 2022
With Winds - © Mennour
With Winds, 1989
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2022
Relatum - © Mennour
Relatum, 1970—2019
Exhibition view, Lee Ufan Arles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Lee Ufan Arles, 2022
Exhibition view, Lee Ufan Arles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Lee Ufan Arles, 2022
Exhibition view, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2020
Exhibition view, Les Alyscamps, Arles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Les Alyscamps, Arles, 2021
Exhibition view, Les Alyscamps, Arles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Les Alyscamps, Arles, 2021
Exhibition view, Hirshhorn Museum - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Hirshhorn Museum, 2019
With Winds - © Mennour
With Winds, 1990
From Point - © Mennour
From Point, 1978
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2017
Exhibition view, Hirshhorn Museum - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Hirshhorn Museum
Exhibition view, Guggenheim, New York - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Guggenheim, New York, 2011
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2007
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2016
Exhibition view, Château de Versailles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Château de Versailles, 2014
Relatum - Silence - © Mennour
Relatum - Silence, 2014
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2016
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2014
Exhibition view, Musée de la Chasse, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Musée de la Chasse, Paris, 2013
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz, 2019
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2016
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2019
Exhibition view, Dia:Beacon, New York - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Dia:Beacon, New York, 2019
From winds - © Mennour
From winds, 1983
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2017
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2013
Exhibition view, Guggenheim, New York - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Guggenheim, New York, 2011
Installation view, Lee Ufan Museum, Naoshima - © Mennour
Installation view, Lee Ufan Museum, Naoshima
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2016
From Line - © Mennour
From Line, 1976
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2018
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2007
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2016
Exhibition view, Château de Versailles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Château de Versailles, 2014
Exhibition view, Guggenheim, New York - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Guggenheim, New York, 2011
From Point - © Mennour
From Point, 1976
Exhibition view, Couvent de la Tourette, Eveux - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Couvent de la Tourette, Eveux, 2017
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2018
Installation view, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum - © Mennour
Installation view, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, 1971
Installation view, Lee Ufan Museum, Naoshima - © Mennour
Installation view, Lee Ufan Museum, Naoshima
Exhibition view, Château La Coste, Puy-Sainte-Réparade - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Château La Coste, Puy-Sainte-Réparade, 2016
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2019
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2013
Exhibition view, Chapelle Saint-Laurent, Arles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Chapelle Saint-Laurent, Arles, 2013
Exhibition view, Serpentine Gallery, London - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Serpentine Gallery, London, 2018
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz, 2019
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2009
Exhibition view, Château de Versailles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Château de Versailles, 2014
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2019
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2016
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz, 2019
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2014
Paper work - © Mennour
Paper work, 2017
Exhibition view, Chapelle Saint-Laurent, Arles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Chapelle Saint-Laurent, Arles, 2013
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2018
Permanent work, Château La Coste, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade - © Mennour
Permanent work, Château La Coste, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, 2014
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2007
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz, 2019
Exhibition view, Pinault Collection, Punta della Dogana, Venice - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Pinault Collection, Punta della Dogana, Venice, 2013
Exhibition view, Château de Versailles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Château de Versailles, 2014
Exhibition view, Château de Versailles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Château de Versailles, 2014
Exhibition view, Couvent de la Tourette, Eveux - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Couvent de la Tourette, Eveux, 2017
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2013
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2013
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz, 2019
Exhibition view, Château de Versailles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Château de Versailles, 2014
Dialogue - © Mennour
Dialogue, 2017
Exhibition view, Castello di Ama, Gaiole In Chianti - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Castello di Ama, Gaiole In Chianti, 2016
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz, 2019
Exhibition view, Guggenheim, New York - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Guggenheim, New York, 2011
Exhibition view, CCCOD, Tours - © Mennour
Exhibition view, CCCOD, Tours, 2017
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Centre Pompidou-Metz, 2019

Exhibitions & News

Jours blancs - © Mennour
Group show, Jours blancs
18 October 2021 — 9 February 2022
Opening 18 October 2021, 18:00
Mennour, 47 rue Saint-André-des-Arts, Paris 6
Mennour, 28 avenue Matignon, Paris 8
Landscape of Geometry - © Mennour
Daniel Buren, Ann Veronica Janssens, Anish Kapoor, Bertrand Lavier, Lee Ufan, François Morellet, Ugo Rondinone, Landscape of Geometry
22 May — 5 June 2021
Mennour, 6 rue du Pont de Lodi, Paris 6
Centre Pompidou Shanghai - © Mennour
Daniel Buren, Michel François, Alberto Giacometti, Lee Ufan, François Morellet, Christodoulos Panayiotou, Zineb Sedira, Shen Yuan, The Shape of Time
8 November 2019 — 9 May 2021
Centre Pompidou × West Bund Museum Project, Shanghai
Fondation Opale - © Mennour
Anish Kapoor, Lee Ufan, Ugo Rondinone, Résonances
14 June 2020 — 4 April 2021
Fondation Opale, Lens
Group show - © Mennour
Mohamed Bourouissa, Daniel Buren, Michel François, Camille Henrot, Anish Kapoor, Lee Ufan, Matthew Lutz-Kinoy, François Morellet, Group show
13 January — 6 March 2021
Mennour, 6 rue du Pont de Lodi, Paris 6
Winter 2020 - © Mennour
Group show, Winter 2020
28 November 2020 — 15 January 2021
Mennour, 47 rue Saint-André-des-Arts, Paris 6
Lee Ufan - Mori Art Museum - © Mennour
Lee Ufan, STARS: Six Contemporary Artists from Japan to the World
31 July 2020 — 3 January 2021
Mori Art Museum, Roppongi
Lee Ufan - Hirshhorn Museum - © Mennour
Lee Ufan, LEE UFAN: OPEN DIMENSION
27 September 2019 — 13 September 2020
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Independence, Washington
Le Modern Style - © Mennour
Group show, Le Modern Style
21 May — 21 June 2020
Viewing room
Lee Ufan - Pompidou Metz - © Mennour
Lee Ufan, Habiter le temps
27 February — 30 September 2019
Centre Pompidou-Metz
Lee Ufan - PSA - Power Station of Art - © Mennour
Lee Ufan, The Challenging Souls - Yves Klein, Lee Ufan, Ding Yi
27 April — 28 July 2019
PSA - Power Station of Art, Shanghai
From Point, From Line: 1976-1982 - © Mennour
Lee Ufan, From Point, From Line: 1976-1982
3 June — 20 July 2019
Mennour, 28 avenue Matignon, Paris 8
Lee Ufan - Couvent de la Tourette - © Mennour
Lee Ufan, LEE UFAN CHEZ LE CORBUSIER - AU-DELÀ DES SOUVENIRS
20 September — 20 December 2017
Couvent de la Tourette, L'Arbresle

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