[2026 Frieze London] Lee Ufan

Lee Ufan dropped out of the College of Fine Arts at Seoul National University and moved to Japan, where he graduated from the Department of Philosophy at Nihon University in 1961. Between 1968 and 1975, he gained attention in Tokyo by leading the theory and practice of the Mono-ha movement. He later became recognized as the key figure who established the theoretical foundation of Mono-ha and has since earned international acclaim while maintaining an active artistic career. Known as the "Master of Points and Lines," his early works are rooted in Eastern philosophy, exploring how points can become lines, and eventually even transform into nothingness. Understanding his work requires an appreciation of both the meaning of the stroke and the unpainted space surrounding it. Each stroke conveys a sense of stillness within motion-jeongjungdong-flowing with vitality and energy, as if frozen in an infinite moment yet subtly moving. Lee has participated in prestigious international exhibitions, including the Paris Biennale, São Paulo Biennale, and Documenta Kassel, receiving widespread acclaim. He has held major solo exhibitions at institutions such as the Düsseldorf City Museum, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Milan Contemporary Art Museum, Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, and Kamakura Museum of Modern Art. The Lee Ufan Museum has also been established on Naoshima Island in Japan. His works are included in the collections of prominent museums, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the National Museum in Berlin, the Museum of Moder Art (MoMA) in New York, the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, and the Ho-Am Art Museum.