New York-based artist Lee Kyung-lim turns cardboards into art

Lee Kyung-lim has been exploring corrugated cardboard for more than 15 years. The harmony of acrylics, resin and corrugated cardboard create a unique texture of her works that embody scenes of nature and cities she has traveled to around the world.

“Corrugated cardboard has winding symmetrical curves on the surface. They have straight lines as well. They are easy to cut, and they absorb water fast. Corrugated cardboards are an attractive material for me,” Lee said.

The 54-year-old artist paints on corrugated cardboard and adds pieces of other corrugated cardboards using resin. The resulting works look like cardboard collages or sculptures.

The lines from corrugated cardboards create the details of mountains and the shapes of houses. 

Among her series is “Gyeomjae Hommage,” corrugated cardboard works that pay tribute to Joseon-era artist Jeong Seon, one of the most well-known landscape painters from the 18th century who went by the pen name Gyeomjae. Her new works include “Garden of Grace I” and “Garden of Grace II,” created in 2020.

The New York-based artist is showing some 20 works at the 2022 Seoul Modern Art Show at SFactory in Seongsu-dong, northern Seoul, which runs through Sunday. The annual art show is organized by the Seoul Fine Arts Association.

Lee graduated from the Oriental Painting College of Fine Art at Seoul National University in 1990. She has had over 60 solo or group exhibitions at home and abroad.


By Park Yuna (yunapark@heraldcorp.com)