LEE Sang Yong

‘Momentary Encounter is Fate’
Fate comes by momentarily and past encounters and farewells also come by in the present and future tense. Countless fates come together as dots to connect a line of past to future which in the end build a gigantic three-dimensional fate. Therefore, my present life, past memories, and future fates all compose narratives for my artwork. However, these narratives do not just belong to myself. Eventually my life is influenced by others or by relations with other objects that in general is interwoven or bounded by common destiny of human life.
The usage of fate in general term connotes unavoidable predestination. However, I like to rely on the momentary fate rather than the predestined fate. Every moment of our lives we face encounters and farewells, the subject of which can be human being but for a ponderous person such as I, they are not. A sunlight that has squeezed through a crack brings conversation to me and enlivens the dust I could not have seen before. A crack, sunlight and dust all exist along with my five senses and create a small universe. Small universes in which I am at the center expand and become a big universe. Paying attention to small things is valuable to me and in return dictates who myself is and what values I hold to. This all begins with a small encounter.
Momentary Fate is a Valued Life
I place values to countless objects and I naturally put images to them. Old ink stones, thrown away metal pieces and tapes that have been used by others and smeared with time have found me and act as fate and value.  All I did was to converse with them. At that moment those momentary fates have connected to my memories have become my work. All those individual moments have coexisted with my past, present and future and have become part of my life.  Countless encounters have become my fate and valuable items.
I, too, through my work will be fate to other people.

<Momentary Fate>
Artist Note by LEE Sang Yong

LEE Sang Yong
Born in 1970, Gongju, Korea

EDUCATION
2005 Mokwon University, College of Fine Arts, Western Paintings, Daejeon, Korea (Dropped Out)

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITION
2013 Inscribed Memories, Waterfall Gallery, New York, USA
2013 Fate, Seoul International Fianance Center, Seoul, Korea
2012 Fate, JJ Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2012 Fate, Kips Gallery-Chelsea, New York, USA
2011 Song of Life, Sup Gallery, Seoul, Korea
2010 Song of Wind, Maum Gallery, New York, USA
2009 The Flight, Tenri Gallery, New York, USA
2007 The Way, The Integrated Government Building, Korea
2005 Korea Young Artists Invitation Exhibition, Danwon Art Museum, Ansan, Korea
2002 Song of Life, Kwanhoon Gallery, Seoul, Korea

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION
2016 Wild Drawing-Kim Kira & Lee Sang Yong, LIG Art Space, Seoul, Korea
2015 Contemporary “Fermented Souls”, Waterfall Gallery, New York, USA
2014 Hypoxis Aurea, KUK Gallery, Daegu, Korea
2014 Changwon Asia Art Festival “Play of the Space-MOMENT”, Sungsan Art Hall, Changwon, Korea
2013 MATERIAL WORLD, Mathony Brunelli Gallery, New York, USA
2011 WONDERPIA, Nanji Art Studio, Seoul, Korea
2010 Conscious behind Unconscious, Korean Cultural Services, New York, USA
2010 Tears from Survivors, F.G.S., New Jersey, USA
2009 Tears from Survivors, F.G.S., New Jersey, USA
2008 Barack Obama Art Show by Korean Artist-Chelsea, Rogue Space Gallery, New York, USA