Gaze by Lee Gihun

Lee Gihun (KR)
Gaze
October 3 – October 31 2025
Main Gallery

Galleri Christoffer Egelund proudly presents Gaze by South Korean artist Lee Gihun. Lee Gihun mixes traditional ink painting techniques with the aesthetics of contemporary cartoons and story books in his deep and thought-provoking universe. Gaze is Lee Gihun’s first solo exhibition at the gallery and consists of entirely new paintings on canvas and cotton watercolor paper. Experience the fascinating universe of Lee Gihun from October 3^rd until October 31^st 2025.  

Lee Gihun’s art is both haunting and graphically striking; intensely modern, yet eternal. His works touch on something which is at the core of our humanity. His childlike characters with their animal masks are endearing and cute like characters out of a fairytale or a children’s storybook. Yet, their world is nothing like a fairytale; desolate landscapes deprived of color and life is what is left for them, the ruins of civilization painful reminders of what once was. 

Their faces obscured, his characters do not have the unique individuality imparted by a human face; but by depriving them of the unique markers of facial features, they end up representing a general humanity. They are all of us; our common will to save the world in which we live. Furthermore, their huge heavy masks have the protective aura of an old-fashioned diver’s helmet or a hazmat suit – a shield protecting them from their harsh reality. Gazing at the sky with a mixture of wonder and fear, we, as viewers gazing at them in turn, can’t help but wonder what their future will look like.   

The hauntingly beautiful shapes of large, ominous clouds fill the backgrounds. They block the light of the sky and tower above the characters and the viewer alike. Are they the dense nebulas of smog created by human pollution? Or the violent storms induced by climate change, lurking in the distance, a promise of more destruction yet to come? 

The author and creator of several prize-winning children’s books, Lee Gihun’s specialty is telling a story without words. He carries his immense skill in storytelling with him into his paintings, creating a living and breathing universe, both in each individual painting and in his œuvre. His focus on children and showing the world seen through the eyes of a child is central to his art. Children are key to our future; yet the consequences of the actions of previous generations are theirs to deal with. Since the industrialization of the 19^th century, humanity has lived by the motto “progress equals profits”, and new technologies developed during the scientific revolution in the 18^th century have allowed us to produce more, sell more and gain more. While this model of the world has brought us many advantages, it has taken a toll on many things, including the environment. Deforestation has diminished the amount of rainforest, and the burning of fossil fuels to power industries world-wide has increased the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere by 50 % since 1750, causing the average temperature on Earth to rise ever more rapidly. If we do not take action, we will see the future that Lee Gihun paints for us sooner than we think: cities destroyed, skies darkened by smog, rising waters threatening to take away all that we know. The children depicted by Lee Gihun are the one light in his gloomy world. The warm red with which they are depicted imparts them with life; red is the color of blood, energy, life and vigor. It stands out against the bleakness of the desaturated landscapes, signifying that these living creatures are the last hope of this world, the last remnant of life left to save it. Running to and from to save the last living things, their efforts are tremendous and deserving of the highest praise. Every living creature they attempt to save, from the smallest to the largest – even the whale is not too heavy for their shoulders. Yet, it is hardly their fault that they have to scramble to save the world. Will we take the necessary actions to ensure that our children do not meet this fate? Lee Gihun uses the haunting metaphor of Noah’s Ark in his work. His characters hurry to save the world’s animals from the rising water; and often, they can be seen building an ark just like that of the biblical Noah. Will the rising water levels of a world marked by climate change come to constitute another Flood, the ultimate punishment for humanity’s sins?

The elegant and striking graphical quality of Lee Gihun’s work is testament to his immense artistic skill; without sketching, he paints the silhouettes of his characters in one take and models their 3D shape with light using oil pastel on top – making his subjects appear as if by magic. 

In Korea, brush and ink painting has a longstanding tradition stretching back more than a millennium, with many works still in existence being from the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). Traditional ink painting has a huge emphasis on virtuoso brush work where the subject is depicted as few brush strokes as possible, painted quickly and deliberately to create an elegant and fluid depiction. Often depicting beautiful and peaceful landscapes full of mountains, trees and fog, the ink paintings of old most often focused on the beautiful and spiritual aspects of nature. Lee Gihun keeps this spirit alive in his paintings; with his great skill in suggesting detail, he makes his landscapes appear using few, well-placed brush strokes of diluted paint, creating trees, clouds and water with a but a flick of the brush. However, his landscapes are anything but beautiful and serene; here, the trees have died, and the clouds that fill the sky are the dirty particles of smog, not the refreshing droplets of mountain mists. Here, all that was beautiful and calm about the world has been chased away by human influence. Especially inspired by the so-called the so-called jingyeong sansuhwa (“true-view landscape painting”) of the 18^th century, where artists depicted idealized and emblematic landscapes from memory, Lee Gihun’s paintings are like the epitome of a desolate landscape caught in a thought or a dream. Haunting and fascinating, the world of Lee Gihun warns us that if we do not act to change the state of the world, the world will be vastly different in all but a generation’s time. 

Originally a children’s book author and illustrator for over 10 years, Lee Gihun (b. 1980, South Korea) has won the Children’s Jury Prize at the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava, one of the most prestigious book illustration prizes in the world, in 2013 for his book Tin Bear and has been awarded the title of Illustrator of the year at Bologna Book Fair in 2010. He has exhibited his illustrations at book fairs around the world, most recently at WONDER: Wordless Picture Books by 7 Artists from South Korea at Brisbane Writers Festival (2023) and Bologna Children’s Book Fair (2023). In parallel with his illustrations, he has worked with his large-scale paintings, translating his utopian vision into the sphere of fine art. He has exhibited his works at galleries across the world in London, Miami and Copenhagen. His art has been featured by Hi Fructose Magazine, and over 300.000 people follow his artistic development on Instagram. 

Join us at the exhibition opening, meet the artist and experience the artsy vibes at Bredgade 75 on October 3^rd from 16:00 to 19:00. For further information and enquiries, please contact the gallery at: hello@christofferegelund.dk or at +45 33 93 92 00. Visit us at Bredgade 75, DK-1260 Copenhagen K, Denmark. Opening hours: Wednesday-Friday 15:00-18:00, Saturday 12:00-16:00, or by appointment.

[DK]

Galleri Christoffer Egelund er stolte af at kunne præsentere Gaze af den sydkoreanske kunstner Lee Gihun. Lee Gihun blander teknikker fra traditionelt blækmaleri med æstetikken fra tegneserier og eventyrbøger i sit tankevækkende univers. Gaze er Lee Gihuns første soloudstilling i galleriet og består af helt nye malerier på lærred og bomuldsakvarelpapir. Oplev Lee Gihuns fascinerende univers fra 3.-31. oktober 2025. 

Lee Gihuns værker er både betagende og grafisk velkomponerede, intenst moderne og evigtgyldige. Hans kunst rør noget, der er en del af kernen i vores menneskelighed. Hans børnelignende figurer med deres dyremasker er søde og charmerende – næsten som karakterer fra et eventyr eller en børnebog. Men deres omgivelser minder dog overhovedet ikke om noget, man kunne finde i et eventyr; øde landskaber uden liv og farve er deres domæne, mens ruiner af moderne storbyer tårner sig op om dem som monumenter over den fortid, der er gået tabt.

Med deres ansigter dækket af de tunge masker har Lee Gihuns karakterer ikke den individualitet, vi normalt forbinder med et menneskes ansigtstræk; til gengæld repræsenterer de en generel menneskelighed; de kunne være hvem som helst af os; de er vores fælles vilje til at redde den verden, vi er en del af. Deres tunge masker har samme beskyttende aura som en gammeldags dykkerhjelm – de er som skjold, der beskytter dem mod deres barske virkelighed. Med en blanding af undren og frygt skuer de op mod himlen, og vi beskuere, der selv retter vores blik mod dem, kan ikke lade være med at tænke på, hvordan deres fremtid mon ser ud. 

Smukke, men truende skyformationer fylder baggrunden i mange af Lee Gihuns værker. De blokerer himlens lys og hæver sig over både maleriets karakterer og beskueren. Er det tunge skyer af smog skabt af menneskelig forurening, eller er det voldsomme uvejrsskyer, der er fremskyndet af klimaforandringerne – et varsel om, at der er endnu mere ødelæggelse på vej? 

Som forfatter til flere prisvindende børnebøger er Lee Gihun ekspert i at fortælle en historie uden ord. Han tager sine færdigheder ud i historiefortællingens kunst med sig ind i sine malerier og skaber et univers, der lever og ånder, både i hvert enkelt værk og i hans œuvre. Hans fokus på børn og det at vise verden, som den ser ud fra et barns perspektiv, spiller en central rolle i hans kunst. Børn er fremtiden; men det er dem, der ender med at skulle leve med og rette op på konsekvenserne af tidligere generationers handlinger. Siden industrialiseringen i det 19. århundrede har vi mennesker levet efter devisen ”fremskridt er lig med profit”, og ny teknologi udviklet efter de videnskabelige landvindinger i det 18. århundrede gjorde det muligt at producere mere, sælge mere og tjene mere. Dette verdenssyn har bragt os mange fordele, men har også tæret på bl.a. miljøet. Fældning af træer og brug af fossile brændstoffer i industrier verden over har øget mængden af CO₂ i atmosfæren med 50 % siden 1750, og den gennemsnitlige temperatur på Jordens overflade stiger hurtigere og hurtigere. Hvis vi ikke agerer, kommer vi sandsynligvis til at se den fremtid, som Lee Gihun maler for os i sin kunst, snarere end vi aner – en fremtid med ødelagte storbyer, en himmel formørket af smog og stigende vande, der på ethvert tidspunkt kunne rive alt, vi kender, med sig. Børnene i Lee Gihuns værker er lyspunktet i denne dystre verden. Deres varme røde farve fylder dem med livskraft; rød er blodets, livets og energiens farve. Rød får dem til at stå i stræk kontrast til de farveløse, forladte landskaber som for at sige, at dette er de sidste levende væsener i denne verden – dens sidste håb og dem, hvis ansvar det er at redde den. I pendulfart skynder de sig for at redde de sidste rester af liv i deres øde verden, fra de mindste dyr til de største; selv hvalerne er ikke for tunge til deres små skuldre. De yder en enorm indsats uden at kny, og som beskuer kan man ikke andet end at beundre dem. Men det er jo ikke deres skyld, at deres verden er endt, som den er. Vil vi gøre det, der skal til for, at vores egne børn ikke skal lide samme skæbne? Lee Gihun bruger Noas ark som sigende metafor i sine værker – ofte ses hans figurer i færd med at samle materialer til eller bygge en ark meget lig den bibelske, netop for at redde verdens sidste dyr fra den stigende vandstand. Vil klimaforandringerne i sidste ende blive en ny syndflod, den ultimative straf for menneskets overmod?

Den grafiske elegance i Lee Gihuns værker viser hans enorme tekniske dygtighed; uden at skitsere formen først blokker han formen på sine figurer ud med sort, hvorefter han fanger lyset og former deres tredimensionelle form med oliepastel – en teknik, hvor formen synes at dukke frem med ét som en skikkelse, der træder ud af mørket. I Korea strækker traditionen for blækmaleri sig mere end et årtusinde tilbage – med flest værker bevaret fra Joseon-dynastiet (1392-1910). Blækmaleriet, hvor penslen er stort set lige så vigtig som det sorte blæk, lægger stor vægt på virtuost penselarbejde, hvor få, velplacerede penselstrøg indfanger motivet på en elegant og hurtig måde. Ofte afbilder de smukke, fredfyldte landskaber med bjerge, træer og tåge – spirituelle landskaber, der indfanger den åndelige del af naturen. Lee Gihun holder det traditionelle blækmaleris essens i live med sin store færdighed ud i at male detaljer med få, velplacerede penselstrøg af fortyndet maling, der indfanger indbegrebet af motivet med ét. Det er dog ikke det smukke og åndelige landskab, der møder beskueren her; i denne dystre verden er træerne døde, skyerne består af smog og tågen er ikke gjort af frisk morgendug, men af forureningspartikler. Her har menneskets indflydelse gjort en ende på alt, der er roligt og fredfyldt. Med stor inspiration fra det såkaldte jingyeong sansuhwa (“sandt udsyn-landskabsmaleri”) fra det 18. århundrede, hvor koreanske kunstnere malede idealiserede, emblematiske landskaber fra hukommelsen, indfanger Lee Gihun essensen af det øde og apokalyptiske landskab i sine værker – en dyster vision anet i en drøm. Lee Gihuns foruroligt betagende og fascinerende verden viser os, hvad der venter, hvis vi ikke sætter os for at skifte kurs for vores verden inden for de næste få årtier. 

Lee Gihun (f. 1980, Sydkorea) har arbejdet som forfatter og børnebogsillustrator i over ti år og har vundet the Children’s Jury Prize på Bratislava Illustrationsbiennale, en af de mest prestigefyldte bogillustrationspriser i verden, for sin bog Tin Bear i 2013, og er blevet kåret som årets illustrator på Bologna Book Fair i 2010. Han har udstillet sine illustrationer på bogfestivaler verden over, senest på WONDER: Wordless Picture Books by 7 Artists from South Korea på Brisbane Writers Festival (2023) og Bologna Children’s Book Fair (2023). Parallelt med sine bogværker har an arbejdet på sine malerier i stor skala og overført sit dystopiske univers til fine art-sfæren. Han har udstillet sine værker på gallerier i over hele verden, bl.a. i London, Miami og København. Hans kunst har været på forsiden af High Fructose Magazine, og over 300.000 følger hans kunstneriske udvikling på Instagram.

Udstillingen åbnes med en fernisering d. 3. oktober 2025 kl. 16-19 – kom og mød kunstneren, få et glas vin og nyd de kunstneriske vibes. For yderligere information og henvendelser, kontakt galleriet på: hello@christofferegelund.dk eller på +45 33 93 92 00. Besøg os i Bredgade 75, 1260 København K. Åbningstider: Onsdag-fredag 15-18, lørdag 12-16, eller efter aftale.