{"id":63389,"date":"2026-08-19T18:07:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T09:07:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kiaf.org\/?post_type=insights&p=63389"},"modified":"2026-08-19T18:20:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T09:20:10","slug":"%ec%98%81%ec%9b%90%ed%95%9c-%ea%b2%83%ec%9d%80-%ec%97%86%eb%8b%a4","status":"publish","type":"insights","link":"https:\/\/kiaf.org\/en\/insights\/63389","title":{"rendered":"Nothing is Forever"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lee Dongi<\/p>\n

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Lee Dongi, \ubc84\ube14 Bubbles, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 90x90cm<\/em><\/p>\n

Lee Dongi is one of the pioneering figures of Korean Pop Art, known for bringing the imagery of popular culture into contemporary painting.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Lee Dongi, \uc544\ud1a0\ub9c8\uc6b0\uc2a4 \uc6f9 Atomaus Web, 2018, acrylic on canvas, 90x150cm<\/em><\/p>\n

First introduced in 1993, Atomaus combines Disney’s Mickey Mouse with Astro Boy from Japanese animation. By merging two familiar characters from different cultural backgrounds, Lee created a new figure that moves freely between different cultures, generations, and ideas of originality and appropriation.<\/p>\n

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Lee Dongi, \uae00\ub9ac\ud130 Glitter, 2019, acrylic on canvas, 100x100cm<\/em><\/p>\n

Since then, Atomaus has appeared in many different forms, wearing a school uniform, flying through the sky, standing among flowers, or taking the form of the Buddha. Through these constant changes, the character continues to take on new meanings and contexts.<\/p>\n

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Lee Dongi, \uc138\uac1c\uc758 \ub208 Three Eyes, 2020, acrylic on canvas, 100x120cm<\/em><\/p>\n

In series such as Comics, Double Vision, Eclecticism, Soap Opera, and Words, Lee brings together images from comics, animation, advertising, film, and abstract painting. These images are layered and placed side by side without any clear hierarchy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Lee Dongi, \ubc84\ube14 Bubbles, 2020, acrylic on canvas, 180x200cm<\/em><\/p>\n

Taken out of their original settings, they form new relationships through a process of bricolage. Rather than offering a single meaning or a fixed interpretation, his paintings reflect the complex and often contradictory nature of contemporary life.<\/p>\n

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Lee Dongi, \uad6d\uc218\ub97c \uba39\ub294 \uc544\ud1a0\ub9c8\uc6b0\uc2a4 Atomaus Eating Noodles, 2020, acrylic on canvas, 180x200cm<\/em><\/p>\n

We see and understand the world through images that are constantly being produced and consumed. As time passes, however, familiar symbols take on different meanings, and stories that once seemed fixed are read again in new contexts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Lee Dongi, \uaf43\ubc2d Flower Garden, 2021, acrylic on canvas, 50x60cm<\/em><\/p>\n

In a time when enormous amounts of images and information are created and discarded every moment, nothing can remain unchanged forever.<\/p>\n

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Lee Dongi, \ubbf8\uc2a4\ud130 \ud329\ud1a0\ub9ac Mr. factory, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 110x150cm<\/em><\/p>\n

Nothing is Forever looks back at Lee Dongi’s work from this perspective, tracing how his practice has continued to respond to these changing conditions over the past three decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Lee Dongi, \uc2a4\ubaa8\ud0b9 Smoking, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 150x150cm<\/em><\/p>\n

Nothing is forever. And because nothing lasts forever, everything can begin again. Lee’s paintings are not simply about disappearance or loss. Instead, they suggest the possibility of something new emerging from constant change. Because things change, new relationships can be formed and new interpretations can arise.<\/p>\n

It is through this process of change that art continues to create a new present.<\/p>\n

Song Jiwon
\nCurator, Gallery NoW<\/p>\n

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Gallery NoW<\/div>\n
16, Eonju-ro 152, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea<\/div>\n
02-725-2930<\/div>\n
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WEB<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0YOUTUBE<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0ARTSY<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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