A solo exhibition by artist Lee Kwan-young, who transforms the sounds of people and nature into light sculptures, is on view through Oct. 24 at JN Gallery in Seoul’s Gangnam district.
Lee has spent more than 20 years creating works that give lasting presence to sounds that disappear the moment they leave the mouth, guided by his belief that “words have souls.” The exhibition presents five works that reinterpret sound waveforms extracted from human voices and sounds of nature as light sculptures.
The featured works include “Stay healthy,” words left to the artist by his ailing mother, and “The Sound of Waves,” recorded at Gangmun Beach, whose waves comforted him while he recuperated in Gangneung after being given 10 years to live as a college student. Also on display are “Love,” spoken in the languages of their respective countries by the wives of 14 ambassadors to South Korea who volunteer with the Korean Red Cross, and “I love you,” exchanged by the artist and his wife as they endured life’s hardships together. The works range in size from 29 centimeters to 255 centimeters, each using light to express the story contained in a sound. The artist’s meditation practice is reflected in every work.
Lee studied anthropology after graduating from Seoul National University’s College of Business Administration. He developed an interest in art while working at the Samsung Culture Foundation and the Hansol Cultural Foundation. He later began making art himself and embarked on a full-time career as an artist. His artistic practice grew out of a fear of death he experienced as a college student. After the early deaths of his father and a friend, Lee was diagnosed with the same illness that had afflicted his father and told he had 10 years to live. The experience sparked his interest in “eternity.”
Lee believes that while words vanish the moment they are spoken, they possess the power to convey comfort, love, courage and hope. To preserve those vanishing words and sounds, he has continued visualizing sound across a range of media, including sculpture, digital printing, jewelry and video.
Lee has turned the words and voices of numerous figures into works, including Cardinal Kim Su-hwan’s “Love,” G-Dragon’s “PEACE MINUS ONE,” former U.S. President Barack Obama’s “HOPE,” Audrey Hepburn’s and Marilyn Monroe’s “LOVE,” John Lennon’s “PEACE” and Venerable Beopjeong’s “Nonpossessiveness.” He has also created works incorporating the voices and messages of many people, including “Love,” featuring the wives of ambassadors to South Korea from 14 countries; “Love,” involving 45 participants, including Kim Hoon and Yoon Do-hyun; and “Peace,” featuring residents of Busan.
For exhibition and artwork inquiries: JN Gallery (02-511-1397)
[Artwork Information]
1. Wives of Ambassadors from 14 Countries 〈Love〉, 2026, 3D Printing, resin, LED
In 2016, as terrorist attacks in France were intensifying, the wives of ambassadors to South Korea from 14 countries, who were volunteering with the Red Cross, spoke the word “love” in their respective languages
Height: 50 cm; variable width and depth
2. Gangneung 〈The Sound of Waves〉, 3D Printing, resin, LED
The sound of waves at Gangmun Beach, where the artist went every morning by bicycle in despair after being given 10 years to live during the spring of his sophomore year of college and spending three years recuperating in Gangneung after graduation
Depth 14 x width 18 x height 255 cm
3. Mother 〈Stay Healthy〉, 2026, 3D Printing, resin, LED, Soil, Steel
Words the artist’s mother, who currently lives in a nursing home, left for him. Soil from the orchard where she farmed throughout her life was brought in and used to cover the work.
Depth 15 x width 27 x height 50 cm
4. Artist and Wife 〈I Love You〉, 2026, 3D Printing, resin, LED, Wood
The voices of an artist from the countryside and his wife from the city, whose differences have led to frequent conflict
Depth 8 x width 27 x height 29 cm
[Artist Information]
Major Exhibitions and Projects
〈Solo Exhibitions〉
- 2026, ECHOES, JN Gallery
- 2026, Your Voice?, Sayu Gallery
- 2020, Special Exhibition, Hankyoreh Busan International Peace Symposium, Busan APEC Naru Park
- 2016, Special Exhibition, G Seoul International Art Fair, United by the Light of Love, Seoul DDP
Special Exhibition, Gyeongnam International Art Fair, The Voice of Light Speaks of Love, Changwon Exhibition Convention Center
- 2013, Analog Beauty, Gallery Juhae,
- 2011, Cardinal Kim Su-hwan 〈Love〉 Speaks to the Eyes, Peace Gallery
- 2011, The different colors of Love, Lavazza Club
- 2010, Love Speaks to the Eyes, Hyundai Department Store in Samseong-dong
- 2010, Love Speaks to the Eyes, Anjeobin Gallery
- 2009, Artwork commemorating the 100th day of President Obama’s inauguration
〈Group Exhibitions〉
- 2026, Contemporary Art Exhibition at Namsangol Hanok Village, Namsangol Hanok Village
- 2024, Exhibition of 40 Artists Selected by Four Critics, ST Gallery, Seoul
- 2021/22, K-SCULPTURE Hangang Heung Project, Yeouido/Ttukseom Parks along the Han River, Seoul
- 2018, Gyeongju International Residency ART FESTA, Gyeongju
- 2017, Asia Contemporary Art Show, Conrad Hotel, Hong Kong (art fair)
- 2009, Seogyo Nanjang, Sangsang Madang
- 2008, Art Donation Project — Citizens Meet Artists, Sangsang Madang
- 2008, International Jewelry Design Competition Winners Exhibition (former U.S. Vice President Al Gore — Live Earth, Honorable Mention), COEX
- 1996, Exhibition of Eight Visual Artists (Photography), Gangneung Culture and Arts Center
The Babonanum Foundation, U.S. Embassy in South Korea, Seongwoo Enterprise, and private collections in Germany, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and elsewhere