lee ufan museum, naoshima

art critic, philosopher and practitioner, lee ufan is one of the leading figures in korean — japanese late twentieth and early twenty first century art. drawing on the abstract traditions of both his native korea and his adopted place of practice, japan, lee ufan’s work is most easily comprehended in terms the minimalist and conceptual movements of the 1960s and ’70s. he has developed a practice informed by western minimalism, arte povera and aspects of western as well as east asian philosophy, such as phenomenology, existentialism and zen buddhism.

his work is simple, austere, quiet and breathtakingly elegant. while visiting naoshima earlier this year i visited the purpose built lee ufan museum, designed by tadao ando follow the link below to see a gallery of photographs of the exterior setting of the museum. ando’s declared concern, in all of his naoshima projects has been that his architecture should follow the landscape rather than impose itself on it.