Lee Kyoungmi
South Korea, 1977
Artist's works
Artist Profile
Introduction and Experience
Lee Kyungmi (b. 1977, South Korea) graduated from the Graduate School of Fine Arts at Hongik University in Seoul in 2006. Her debut solo exhibition in 2005 drew significant attention from both the public and the art world, and she has since continued to refine her artistic language through ongoing exploration of technique and concept.
Lee first gained recognition for her distinctive oil paintings on birch panels incorporating shallow relief elements, particularly her tabletop cityscape series. The recurring protagonist, “Nana,” her beloved cat, functions simultaneously as a personal companion and as a symbolic alter ego of the artist herself. Drawing inspiration from travel and everyday life, her works intertwine childhood memories, emotional absence, and imaginative reflections on the vastness of the universe.
Her paintings evoke the dramatic spatial sensibility of Baroque art while continuing a dialogue with post-Cézanne explorations of perspective and perception. Through layered visual narratives, Lee Kyungmi explores deeper questions of human existence while reflecting the emotional and psychological complexities of contemporary society.
Exhibitions and Awards
Selected Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2023
In Search of Lost Art - Nana and the Lagrange Point L2—Arte K, Seoul, Korea
A Night of Stargazing —Daisy Gallery, Jeju, Korea
Let the sunshine in —Powerlong Museum, Shanghai, China
C.A.T —CNCITY Headquarters, Daejeon, Korea
2022
NanaAstro-Travel to Goyang: Planet —Goyang Children’s Museum, Goyang, Korea
Best is yet to come —Gallery Planet, Seoul, Korea
Can You Hear Me? NanaAstro —Studio KKI, Paju, Korea
ABC (Art, Black Tiger, Cosmos) —Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute & CNCITY Foundation & DaeJeon Journal, Daejeon, Korea
Old way x New era —Noblesse Collection, Seoul, Korea
2021
You will never work alone —ARTAGE, Taiwan
2020
One Day At A Time —Liang Project, Shanghai, China
You will never work alone (Art ChoSun’s Atelier Project: Open Studio)—Artist’s Studio, Yongin, Korea
Hol;Yeonhee (Qpicker x Kyoungmi Lee)—12spaces in Yeonhee-dong, Seoul, Korea
2019
THEN & NOW; New Vertical Painting - Durer’s Apocalypse —Gallery Sejul, Seoul, Korea
I GOT LIFE —Lingang Contemporary Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2018
Artist’s Project Kyoungmi Lee —Banyan Tree Club House, Seoul, Korea
Farewell My Love - Waning Splendor —Liang Project Co Space, Shanghai, China
2017
Parallax —Gallery Planet, Seoul, Korea
2015
Utopia as a Distant view —ToSee Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
2014
Artist’s House —Seongbuk Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
2012
On Being the Right Size —CAIS Gallery, Hong Kong
2011
You Don’t Own Me —CAIS Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2009
Street on the Table —CAIS Gallery, Hong Kong
2008
Nana Lee and Ranken Kim —PYO South, Seoul, Korea
2007
Room for Nana —C Art Cafe in CAIS Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2006
The Nine Doors —Noam Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2005
Nana Inside —IDP Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Group Exhibitions
2023
Art Pick 30 —Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, Korea Neara Loves Art—Neara Hotel, Xitang, China
2022
Transition with space —Soohoh Gallery, Seongnam, Korea
Collaboration with Nobrand —Shinsegae Food, Korea
The Review Paradise City —Paradise City Plaza, Incheon, Korea
Art in Faith —Hori Art Space, Seoul, Korea
Contemporary Tokyo —Contemporary Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
2021
Color Drops —Gallery Marie, Seoul, Korea
Visits from my window still friends —Artbelt Soje, Daejeon, Korea
New Normal New My way —SOOHOH Gallery, Seongnam, Korea
The Review —Art Museum of Chosun & Noblesse Collection, Seoul, Korea
2020
Iconic —Artdelight Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Up Close 01 —M Contemporary Museum, Seoul, Korea
On Tact —Gyeonggi SangSangCampus, Suwon, Korea
Art Road 77 —Heiri Gallery, Paju, Korea
Super Collection —Superior Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Brave New Gaze: Vision, Gaze and Start —ATELIER AKI, Seoul, Korea
W299 PROJECT —Gallery Woong, Seoul, Korea
2019
IMAGE; Fascinating Alchemy —Danwon Museum of Art, Ansan, Korea
Viewpoint of Cat —Clayarch Gimhae Museum, Gimhae, Korea
Balanced —B-tree Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2017
With Companions —Sejong Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea
2014
Reality on the Reality —Art Space Jungmiso, Seoul, Korea
K-P.O.P: Korean Contemporary Art —MOCA Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
The Cultural Code —Springs Center of Art, Beijing, China
2012
Jumping Spring —Space K, Seoul, Korea
Out of Frame —Inter Alia, Seoul, Korea
The Carnival of the Animals —Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, Korea
Korea Tomorrow —Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, Korea
2010
The Multiple —Pyo Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2009
Illusion —Parkryusook Gallery, Seoul, Korea
The Books —Parkryusook Gallery, Seoul, Korea
The Cat-Beings —KHJgallery, Seoul, Korea
2008
Neo Sensibility —With SPACE Gallery, Beijing, China
Trompe-l’oeil in Imagination —CAIS Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2007
Star Exhibition —Insa Art Center, Seoul, Korea
Sense of Moment —CAIS Gallery, Hong Kong
Korean Contemporary Artist 40-YKA —Insa Art Center, Seoul, Korea
Critical Perspective —Insa Art Center, Seoul, Korea
Tribute for a Devotee —SP Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Real Seeing & Real View —Insa Art Center, Seoul, Korea
Recto & Verso of Korean Hyper Realism —LM Gallery, Seoul, Korea
The Story of Cats & Dogs —Daejeon Museum, Daejeon, Korea
Red & Blue —Insa Art Center, Seoul, Korea
Diversity in Form & Thoughts —Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China
Awards
2019
Winner—24th Seok Joo Art Awards, Seok Joo Art Foundation, Seoul, Korea
2003
Selected—JoongAng Fine Art Contest, Seoul, Korea
2002
Selected—Danwon Art Festival, Ansan, Korea
Selected—Shinsaimdang Arts Contest, Gangneung, Korea
Collections
Museums and Institutional Collections
- National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA)—South Korea
- Powerlong Museum—Shanghai, China
- Suwon District Court—Suwon, Korea
- Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation—Gyeonggi-do, Korea
- CNCITY Maum Energy Foundation—Daejeon, Korea
Private Collections
- Works are held in private collections in South Korea and Taiwan.