As New York City basks in the glow of its annual Art Week, one of the oldest galleries in NYC is playing host to the US debut of one of Korea’s most exciting young artists, Doowon Lee. “Doowon and the Golden Fish Submarine Arrive in New York”, transforms ACA Galleries into a portal of good energy and offers a glimpse of a unique and exciting talent.
Birds in the Snowy Persimmon Tree (Midwinter), 2025 Mixed media on wool 68 x 65 3/4 in
To observe Lee’s paintings for the first time is to experience a feeling of encountering something raw and exciting. Vast fields of saturated color, rendered in bold strokes, immediately captivate the eye, but for those familiar with Korean folk art or minhwa, there is another layer of fascination. Echos of the past are embedded deep in the imagery while the style is wholly fresh and new. The feeling is intense and visceral.
Doowon Lee paints with an instinctual force, drawing from past and present as well as from a vast reservoir of experience gathered across continents. Though based in Korea, Lee’s creative life unfolds in far-flung places like Pakistan, India and Nepal where he gathers inspiration and utilizes native materials. His works are not constructed through formula or academic precision; rather, they emerge from a response to experience and place.
The Strange Rock, the Gray Wolf, the Daffodils, and the Frogs, 2025 Mixed media on wool 70 1/2 x 60 1/4 in
Rejecting the confines of formal art training, Lee has forged a fiercely individual style. His paintings and multimedia works are saturated with personal mythologies, each canvas a mix of local textures, Korean ink traditions, and glimmers of sci-fi.
Leopard’s Leisurely Stroll in the Jungle, 2024 Mixed media on cotton 58 x 36 1/2 in
The exhibition runs from April 8 to May 31, 2025. The show invites viewers into Lee’s restless world: vast paintings, handwoven rugs, and multimedia pieces shaped by his time in Pakistan’s Hunza Valley and beyond. Visit, and you may well find your own pulse shifting in response.
“Doowon and the Golden Fish Submarine Arrive in New York”
ACA Gallery
173 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011
April 8 to May 31, 2025
