Written by Ella Bowers for THE ARTISTS FORUM MAGAZINE
Edited by Amos White V for THE ARTISTS FORUM, INC
Photos: Courtesy of the Vilcek Foundation, Amos White V, and Ella Bowers
REVIEWER RATINGS:
5 out of 5 stars
IL LEE – ENERGY AND FLOW: ABSTRACTION OF MOVEMENTS
NEW YORK, NY (January 5, 2026) — On July 30, 2025, The Artists Forum was invited to a private tour of Il Lee — Energy and Flow: Abstraction of Movements at the Vilcek Foundation’s Upper East Side gallery and headquarters in New York City (71 East 70th Street at Madison). The exhibition, which opened on May 29, 2025, remains on view through April 29, 2026.
I was greeted by Olivia Wrobleski – Curatorial Fellow in Contemporary Art, who conducted the tour, and Shelby Roller – Communications Officer at the Vilcek Foundation, who provided additional context and answered questions.
Il Lee is a master of transforming the unassuming into the extraordinary. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Lee is a contemporary New York-based artist widely acclaimed for his large-scale abstract compositions.
(Photo courtesy of the Vilcek Foundation)
The first floor features Lee’s more experimental works, which introduce color and incorporate a process of extraction. In these pieces, he uses the pen cap to manipulate layers of paint rather than apply them, further expanding his exploration of mark-making. The second floor presents his most iconic works in black—and occasionally blue—ballpoint pen, demonstrating the disciplined abstraction for which he is widely acclaimed.
The gallery is filled with expansive works, created with a ballpoint pen—sometimes rendered directly in ink on paper, other times used as a tool to manipulate paint. Each piece is a complex abstraction that offers no immediate sense of representation. Upon closer inspection, subtle variations emerge—from fine, delicate lines to dense fields of repeating marks—revealing the discipline and precision behind these large-scale compositions.
(Photo courtesy of the Vilcek Foundation)
Lee’s work is deceptively simple, placing the viewer into an elusive visual experience. While the compositions may initially appear straightforward, they transform as one moves closer, revealing extraordinary depth and detail. Although Lee resists assigning specific identities to his works, viewers often perceive references to natural landscapes, including mountain ranges and bogs. His more recent color-based works offer an increasingly psychedelic effect, as vibrant hues bounce against stark white and black backgrounds. While these newer pieces add a sense of exuberance, Lee’s earlier monochromatic works remain particularly compelling in their restraint and disciplined use of a limited palette.
Lee studied at Hongik University in Seoul, where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts and emerged as a leading figure in Korea’s abstract monochrome movement. Working alongside fellow artists, he sought to forge pathways for non-Western art on a global scale. He later continued his studies at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, where he began creating works using only ballpoint pens—a practice he has maintained ever since.
Lee’s work is currently on view at the Vilcek Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Dr. Jan T. Vilcek and his wife, Marica Vilcek, dedicated to recognizing immigrant contributions to the arts and sciences. The exhibition is curated by guest curator Dr. Suzie Kim, PhD, in collaboration with Vilcek Foundation Curator Emily Schuchardt Navratil, PhD.
Rick Kinsel, President of the Vilcek Foundation, notes: “We are honored to host Il Lee: Energy and Flow in our gallery for this year. This exhibition was created in tandem with Lee, Dr. Suzie Kim, and Art Projects International to traverse Lee’s fifty-year artistic journey – a pilgrimage of discipline and discovery. The exhibition includes seven pieces from our collection, including our most recent acquisition, IW-2201.”
(Photo by Amos White V)
Though Lee is known for maintaining privacy around his personal life and working methods, the exhibition includes a pile of his used pens. Visitors are invited to examine the battered, emptied tools—some crusted with paint or wrapped in tape—offering a rare, tactile glimpse into his process. This intimate detail deepens the viewer’s connection to the work and reinforces the beauty of Lee’s practice: art that is extraordinary not only for its visual power, but for its humble beginnings and ambitious ends.
Lee’s dedication to a single medium further underscores what makes his practice so distinctive. His practice challenges conventional definitions of high art, demonstrating that striking and meaningful works do not require expensive materials or elaborate resources. Something as commonplace as a pen, repeated with intention and rigor, becomes a vehicle for remarkable artistic achievement.
Il Lee—Energy and Flow: Abstraction of Movements is on view through April 29, 2026. The exhibition is open by appointment only, and admission is free. To schedule a visit, email: [email protected].
UPDATE: Since this review was written, Il Lee—Energy and Flow has been reinstalled as a more intimate presentation in the Vilcek Foundation’s first-floor gallery. The exhibition was consolidated to accommodate a newly installed exhibition celebrating the Vilcek Foundation’s 25th anniversary, now on view in the second-floor gallery. Visitors are encouraged to experience both exhibitions.
CANDID SHOTS AT VILCEK FOUNDATION
pose with Il Lee’s “Untitled 978 K. (Photo by Amos White V)
(Photo by Amos White V)
For more about the Vilcek Foundation, visit: https://vilcek.org
For more about Il Lee – Energy and Flow, visit: https://vilcek.org/events/il-lee-energy-and-flow-abstraction-of-movements/
For more about Art Projects International visit: https://artprojects.com/il-lee/il-lee-ballpoint-pen-on-paper/
For more about Il Lee, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_Lee
