By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
On layers of thin Korean paper, artist Lee He-ju, 52, draws the harmony between humans and nature. Human-like figures are composed of nature-inspired patterns, like butterflies and vegetation, and organic materials such as plants and soil are used for coloring.
``Korean papers are very thin _ they `breathe.' I paint and paste one layer of paper on another. This collage shows that humans and nature are separated, but organically connected,'' Lee told The Korea Times.
Born in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, Lee studied at the Kunstakademie in Vienna and earned a master's degree in Korean Painting from Chonbuk National University. In 1998, she was invited to hold a private exhibition by the Korean Embassy in Vienna while still a student. Since then, Lee has held many exhibitions in Austria and Germany.
While studying in Vienna, Lee became interested in Gustav Klimt's paintings. ``I found out that the plant pattern used in Klimt's `Portrait of Friederike Maria Beer' was inspired by a Korean vase,'' Lee said. This inspired Lee to write her master's thesis on the Orientalism, especially the Korean influence, in Klimt's art.
In January, Lee will give a speech at an international art conference in Vienna, ``The Art of Art Nouveau and Asia Centering on Gustav Klimt.'' She will also exhibit her work at Siegen University in Germany, from Jan. 9-31.
``Though I exhibited many times abroad, I've never had an individual exhibition in Korea. I want to hold my own show in Korea next year,'' Lee said.