Sabrina Amrani Gallery presents ‘SanToki, Tokiya’ the latest artistic endeavour by Korean-American creator Timothy Hyunsoo Lee, featuring an array of watercolours, cyanotypes, soft sculptures, and works on paper. The exhibition takes its name from a Korean children’s song about a mountain hare, symbolising the linguistic and communal connections that shape early experiences. Lee’s exploration delves into the impact of severed ties caused by migration, dissecting the enduring consequences of this rupture on personal and collective identities. The multimedia artist reinterprets traditional Korean SanSuHwa painting, particularly focusing on mountains, pivotal in Korean cultural symbolism, representing both protection and division.
Lee employs a unique approach to the landscape genre, queering the historical SanSuHwa style. His marks and forms traverse the spectrum of emotions, from light to dark, joy to longing, embodying the dualities of permanence and volatility. The artist, rooted in biology, introduces a diamond-shaped cell motif, a serialised meditation on his multifaceted identities. In the series titled 성 (Seong), translating to the castle, Lee draws parallels between Western fortifications and Korean mountains, encapsulating the dual nature of protectiveness and inaccessibility. The resulting soft and organic depictions of mountains defy the sharpness of traditional Korean landscape paintings, creating a sense of fullness and hope.
Venturing into cyanotypes, Lee introduces the TrueView (Overexposed) series, where his signature diamond cells overlap to form dynamic compositions. The restless energy within these works mirrors the artist’s psyche, oscillating between calm and frenetic states. This shift parallels a transformation in Korean landscape painting during the eighteenth century, marked by a departure from the dominant Chinese approach. In the installation kaedduk (for Ungnyeo), Lee sculpts mugwort plants using Korean silk and cyanotypes, weaving a narrative of resilience and identity. The plant, considered invasive in North America, carries cultural significance in Korea, symbolizing resilience and abundance.
Lee’s imagined landscapes and depictions of nature pay homage to the rich tradition of Korean landscape painting. Infused with nostalgia for a distant place, his works narrate the stories of collective and individual identities across the Korean diaspora. Embracing the past as a foundational stepping stone, Lee’s art encourages a forward trajectory while acknowledging the complexities of cultural heritage.
Watercolour on paper, 150 x 300 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Sabrina Amrani.
About Timothy Hyunsoo Lee
Timothy Hyunsoo Lee, an interdisciplinary artist born in Seoul and raised in New York City, navigates the complex intersections of bodies, borders, and rituals in his work. Holding a B.A. in Neuroscience, Biology, and Studio Art from Wesleyan University and an MFA in computational arts from Goldsmiths, University of London, Lee’s practice employs a kaleidoscopic lens, incorporating multicultural perspectives and both analog and technological processes. His creations, exhibited globally, delve into fortresses, imagined landscapes, and fleshy bodies, emphasising the turbulence of immigration and the queer experience within communities. Referencing history and tradition, Lee subverts their narratives through queer abstractions and deterioration, engaging with themes of othering and belonging. Currently residing between Boston and New York City, his works are featured in prominent collections worldwide.
Location: Sabrina Amrani Gallery, Madrid, Spain
Dates: 18 November 2023 – 20 January 2024