Lee Heedon "Inyeon"

8 hours ago

3 min read

2026.11.1 sun - 11.15 sun

1. INTRODUCTION

"Inyeon"

Weaving the World.

Unraveling fibers, mixing them with paint, and applying layer upon layer.

In the works of Lee Heedon, this accumulation of repetitive actions is etched as traces of time.

The word the artist has entrusted to his artwork for many years is "Inyeon" (縁 / connection, fate).

Just as countless fibers interweave with paint to form a single canvas, we, too, live by meeting, engaging, and overlapping with different existences. Lee Heedon has continued to paint these chains of relationships, as if weaving the world itself.

While resonating with the lineage of Dansaekhwa (Korean monochrome painting), his practice has expanded into a unique pictorial world through repetitive gestures, materiality, and color.

Artworks born in Korea cross the sea to meet new people in Japan.

The artist and the artwork, Korea and Japan, and each individual standing before the canvas—this exhibition itself becomes yet another new Inyeon.

2. MATERIAL / PROCESS

From Fiber to Painting.

Lee Heedon' s paintings begin with individual, delicate fibers.

The primary material is mulberry fiber, which is also used in Hanji (traditional Korean paper). The artist grinds these fibers himself and mixes them with paint to create a medium that gives birth to a distinct texture and sense of dimensionality.

On top of the canvas, he places stencils perforated with countless holes or structures woven from thread, over which paint containing mulberry fiber is layered. Passing through the gaps of the holes and threads, the paint adheres to the canvas, leaving behind unique shapes like dots and lines.

Create a layer, let it dry, and layer again. Through this repetition, the paint and fibers gradually build up, eventually generating a deep relief on the surface that calls forth a tactile response.

Furthermore, strokes applied with brushes and broad brushes are repeated endlessly over top. Through approximately 50 iterations of repetitive brushwork, the canvas gains even greater depth.

Fibers, paint, thread, brushstrokes, and time.

Overlapping and binding distinct elements, a single painting is woven into existence.

3. INYEON / En

The Concept of "Inyeon"

The Korean word "Inyeon" (인연) originates from the same Chinese characters (因縁) as the Japanese word "En" (縁).

Rooted in the Buddhist concept of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda), it originally denoted the primary causes and supporting conditions that give rise to all outcomes. Over time, it became deeply embedded in daily life, used to describe human relationships, serendipitous encounters, and the various connections that emerge throughout one's life.

인연

因緣

Inyeon

Lee Heedon has made Inyeon the central theme of his work for many years.

Mixing mulberry fibers with paint, weaving threads, and tying together different materials. Then, repeating the cycle of drying, applying, and executing countless brushstrokes to construct a single screen.

Different entities meet, engage, overlap, and bring forth something new.

The very process of his creation quietly aligns with the world of Inyeon that the artist portrays.

4. EVOLUTION

From Life to "Inyeon".

Before reaching his current body of work centered on Inyeon, there was another core concept Lee Heedon focused on: Life.

In his works from that period, tiny holes repeatedly appeared, filling the canvas.

To the artist, each of these individual holes was a "place where life emerges".

One hole, one life. Countless individual lives gather to form a single composition.

This expression eventually evolved into dots, lines, vivid colors, and the tactile textures created by mulberry fibers.

Gazing at individual lives, and contemplating the world in which they gather and exist through mutual connection.

From Life to Inyeon.

While changing forms and materials, Lee Heedon's artistic language has expanded from individual existences toward the relationships that spark between them.

5.CONTEXT

Intersections with Korean Dansaekhwa

When viewing Lee Heedon’s paintings within the context of Korean contemporary art, an intersection with Dansaekhwa (Korean monochrome painting) comes into focus.

Dansaekhwa, which emerged as a major movement in 1970s Korea, meant far more than simply limiting color; it held deep significance in confronting materials through repetitive actions such as painting, dragging, scraping, and pushing.

In Lee's creative process, one can similarly observe these repetitive acts, the physical materiality of the mediums, and the accumulation of time.

However, his screen does not remain strictly "monochromatic". Vibrant hues, mulberry fibers, and endless textures meet a thematic progression from "Life" to "Inyeon".

While grounding his methodology in harmony with Dansaekhwa, Lee Heedon overlays his own unique materials, palette, and philosophy, expanding them into a distinct pictorial language.