White Cube is pleased to present ‘Inside the White Cube: Lee Jin Woo’. Born in Korea in 1959, this Paris-based artist creates work in which the method of its making is integral to its comprehension. The process commences with the burning of wood to create charcoal and ash, which is then overlaid with hanji – a handmade Korean paper from mulberry tree bark. The surface is then pounded and scraped repeatedly with wire brushes to create abstract compositions of undulating light and shadow. 

Referencing the legacy of Korean Dansaekhwa painting, Lee’s paintings share with the movement the emphasis on materiality and ‘repeatability’, whilst also defining a new visual language. His deep respect for traditional Korean materials, as well as the space this opens up for a new wave of Korean art, unites him with the leading father of Dansaekhwa painting, Park Seo-Bo.