Created by Lee_Sukju, Title : Meditative Space 5

The artist Lee suk-ju is considered a first-generation Korean hyperrealist painter, having dedicated over 40 years to capturing the essence of realism in his paintings. More specifically, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of contemporary art in Korea, navigating the contrasting currents of monochromatic abstract painting and realism. Hyperrealist painting is often described as “more photographic than a photograph.” It involves meticulously depicting everyday objects, landscapes, and figures with extreme precision, sometimes magnifying specific details of the subject. This demanding artistic process requires mental focus and meticulous craftsmanship. The hyperrealistic portrayal of subjects can make familiar objects appear unfamiliar and even surreal, stimulating the viewer’s imagination and prompting contemplation on human visual perception. As a pioneer of the first generation of Korean hyperrealist painters, Lee Seok-ju has devoted his artistic career to hyperrealism, capturing the emotions and sentiments he experiences in daily life and reality. Hyperrealism emerged in the late 1960s in the United States as “Photorealism,” characterized by the thorough exclusion of the artist’s emotions while creating highly realistic images. In Korea, it gained attention in the late 1970s as an alternative to the prevailing abstract art movement, and it has since undergone various adaptations. Lee Seok-ju’s works stand out from typical hyperrealism, as they incorporate the artist’s feelings and emotions into the paintings. He often chooses subjects that symbolize time, both natural and artificial, such as books, clocks, horses, trains, classical paintings, and flowers.