What brings humor to these strange bodies is the titles. Instead of short names, he gives his works long sentences: Portrait of a dog looking on with disdain as its owner makes music out of farts, A portrait of one covering the face to stifle a secret yawn. These are moments everyone has come across at least once, and the titles lend wit to the heavy forms.
His surfaces are strikingly soft. He builds up thin layers of color with an airbrush and refines the edges precisely by hand. The background is left as bare, unpainted white. Even while depicting grotesque bodies, the surface stays calm and emotionless, as if observing specimens in a laboratory.
That detached attitude makes the paintings feel all the stranger. Younguk Yi's new work is on view in his solo exhibition Tolerance at WWNN in Samcheong-dong. The show runs through October 3, 2026, at 20 Samcheong-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. What does the identity of the body mean to you?
FAQ
When does Lee Youngwook's solo exhibition 《Tolerance》 run until?
The exhibition runs until October 3, 2026. It's on view at WWNN, located at 20 Samcheong-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, showcasing Lee Youngwook's new portrait series created by repeatedly layering and overlapping faces and eyes.
What technique does Lee Youngwook use to create his paintings?
He builds up thin layers of color with an airbrush and meticulously refines the edges by hand. The background remains unpainted white canvas, creating a detached, emotionless surface. This indifferent approach makes the grotesque bodily forms feel even more unsettling.
Why do Lee Youngwook's paintings have long sentence titles?
He uses long sentences instead of short titles to add wit. Works like 〈Portrait of a Dog Looking Pathetically at Its Owner Making Music with Farts〉 and 〈Portrait of Someone Covering Their Face to Sneakily Yawn〉 humorously capture everyday moments everyone has experienced, balancing the weighty imagery.
