Lee Chul Soo
Available Works
Korean master woodcut artist Lee Chul Soo creates visual and verbal poems that express universal messages. They reflect his life as a rice farmer, Zen Buddhist practitioner, and keen observer of daily events taking place locally in his home village, and at the national and global levels. Lee’s poetic reflections express the relationships humans have with their natural environment, their families and neighbors, and with all people around the world. Lee Chul Soo draws compassionate and humorous analogies between nature and humanity. In “Face to Face” three small insects stand up to a large praying mantis, willing to sacrifice their lives; and in “Don’t Worry” two parents walk through an “unusual wind,” trusting their children will follow.
Lee Chul Soo was born in 1954 and at an early age, without formal training, began his artistic studies. His first major exhibition was in Seoul in 1981. He is widely respected for his work as printmaker for the Min-jung Art Movement (Democratic Art Movement for the People) in the 1980’s. At that time, his bold, graphic work addressed major Korean social and political issues. Mr. Lee’s artistic focus shifted when he and his family moved to a small rice farm in the countryside in 1987. Now, most of Lee Chul Soo’s woodcuts are characterized by their minimalism and laconic prose. On his farm the artist grows most of his own food, writes poetry, and makes woodcut prints by hand in the traditional way, on handmade Korean mulberry paper.
Lee Chul Soo’s woodcuts have been exhibited in Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, throughout Korea, and in 2003, Davidson Galleries was honored to exhibit his work for the first time in the United States. Visual Poetry is the third solo exhibition of Lee’s work at Davidson Galleries.
• Recent exhibitions: Visual Poetry, August 2009; Reflections: A Decade of Woodcuts, April 2005
Shopping - the Sacred House, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 25.
13 x 19 inches.
$550Translation:
We made a pilgrimage to a sacred house.
Thanking for the material blessings we had received.
We gladly donated our offerings.
Filled with joy, we came out of it.
A Gift, 2007
Woodcut. Edition of 25.
10-1/2 x 13 inches.
$450Translation:
I heard that some people send a parcel containing a bomb...
- Kwon Jeongsaeng
Don’t Worry, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 35.
24 x 28-1/2 inches.
$950Translation:
The children will follow us in this unusual wind.
Don’t worry. They are still young.
Eyes Inside of Me Too, 2005
Woodcut. Edition of 36.
24 x 13 inches.
$550Translation:
There are eyes inside of me too.
Life, peace.
From Here, 2008
Woodcut. Edition of 20.
5-1/2 x 22 inches.
$600Translation:
Off the bow, it is right in empty space.
Off the river bank, it is right on the water.
Only moving from here to there,
Without resting, as at the beginning.
Here, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 38.
16 x 46 inches.
$1150Translation:
Ceaseless snow, rain, and wind.
Those that are laid down in the dark,
Shall I call them survivors after defeat?
Midday with Green Sweat, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 28.
23-1/2 x 40 inches.
$1400Translation:
People write their everyday life on the furrows of a field, just as people in the old days wrote their letters.
On the River of Vanity, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 20.
10 x 18-1/2 inches.
$600Translation:
The world is not on the bank of a river.
At the side of a boat, only small waves and wind are murmuring.
Do you live without thinking of the world; have you forgotten the world?
The Orchid of the Trouble Times 1, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 20.
14-1/2 x 13-1/2 inches.
$450Translation:
“Heart”
This is one word.
To safeguard it is better than trying to save life.
The Season for Plum Flowers, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 35.
13 x 20-1/2 inches.
$550Translation:
In early spring,
When a plum tree that survived the long winter blooms redolent flowers,
A farmer, who survived the long winter,
while plowing the field, smiles at the life that survived the cold weather.
Life in spring and the farmer are friends in this way.
Thoughtful - Daughter, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 35.
19-1/2 x 23 inches.
$750Translation:
In those woods,
Thinking, thinking.
Thoughtful - Mother, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 35.
19-1/2 x 23 inches.
$750Translation:
In those woods,
Thinking, thinking.
Thus I Have Heard - Birds Are Flying Up, 2008
Woodcut. Edition of 35.
19 x 26 inches.
$800Translation:
In the woods, where an old graveyard is,
Birds, sensing an animal approaching,
Take flight, without bumping into each other.
Truly, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 20.
27 x 13 inches.
$800Translation:
I bought a small house and a piece of field.
Registered! Now it’s my house and my land. By putting up stakes and wires in an empty space, I made them mine. How great it is!
Deer and elk came to the field and asked whether it was really mine. A mouse came into the kitchen and asked whether it was really mine.
Whistle, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 35.
24 x 28-1/2 inches.
$950Translation:
Oh?
Wow!
Our Way, 2007
Woodcut. Edition of 30.
15-1/2 x 18 inches.
$550Translation:
When I walk on your way together with you,
Sometimes the way must be called ‘our way.’
The Forest of Bar Codes - Hiking, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 25.
16-1/2 x 12 inches.
$550Translation:
During the weekend
I enter the forest of bar codes.
Speed, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 20.
17-1/2 x 12 inches.
$450Translation:
Asphalt,
Tires,
Life breath,
Helplessness,
Life
Standing Face to Face, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 20.
10 x 14 inches.
$450Translation:
We are afraid of you.
That’s why we risked our lives.
Thus Have I Heard - Snowflakes in the Woods, 2008
Woodcut. Edition of 35.
19 x 26 inches.
$800Translation:
People passed by and the stand of pines became quiet again.
It snows lightly and snowflakes are not frightened by the trace of people.
Happy Birthday! (1), 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 35.
19-1/4 x 19-1/4 inches.
$700Translation:
Poem:When born from the universe of our mother,
We meet our mother in the starry space again.
We all have our soul’s umbilical cord connected to it.
A Big Book - A Day in Spring, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 30.
10 x 18-1/2 inches.
$550Translation:
I hear you are reading. Nothing is better than studying.
But some books are too big to bring into the room.
I just dropped by since the flowers were so beautiful today.
Buddha, the Blade of Grass, 2005
Woodcut. Edition of 20.
13 x 14 inches.
$450
Jesus, the Blade of Grass, 2005
Woodcut. Edition of 20.
12 x 14 inches.
$450
Death Penalty?, 2007
Woodcut. Edition of 20.
14-1/2 x 10 inches.
$450
The Same Flower at Twenty, the Same Flower at Fifty, 2005
Woodcut. Edition of 50.
13 x 12 inches.
$450
The Song of Life - the Signs of Spring, 2009
Woodcut. Edition of 20.
13 x 17 inches.
$450
Dancing of the Birds, 2005
Woodcut. Edition of 34.
11 x 15 inches.
$450
Rice is Heaven and Earth, for Which We Should Be Truly Grateful, 2006
Woodcut. Edition of 35.
11 x 12 inches.
$450
The Flower Comes and stays in Bloom Until It Gets Dark, 2005
Woodcut. Edition of 47.
11 x 14 inches.
$450
A Bird, 2002
Woodcut. Edition of 60.
35 x 45 inches.
#29480
$2200Translation:
As a bird without a head,
Soars up without wings,
There appeared a broad road.
While Cultivating the Field, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 42.
16 x 23 inches.
#29485
$500Translation:
I wonder whether those who were decorating the clay pots in old days had the same mind as mine.
Your Way, 2004
Woodcut. Edition of 48.
16-1/2 x 26-1/4 inches.
#29500
$600Translation:
An old man slowly traverses the hilly bean field with its long furrows. That hilly field had been hard to cross even when he was young.
A New Day, 2005
Woodcut. Edition of 40.
12-1/4 x 23 inches.
#29512
$550Translation:
A New Day
The house looks like a mountain.
The sun rises like a friend.
You are already bright.
When I become bright,
We will be birds of a feather.
On Buddha’s Birthday, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 29.
23 x 11-1/4 inches.
#29489
$500Translation:
On Buddha’s birthday, the child asks.
"Did you go to the temple?"
"Yes, I did."
"What did you do there?"
"I had lunch."
"Was that all you did?"
"Oops, my bodhisattva daughter!"
A Place for Practice, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 24.
23 x 13-3/4 inches.
#29491
$550Translation:
Oh you, the seeker of the Way,
Are you still living at that address?
Why don’t you move out of there for your own life?
A Watermelon Peddler; On the Hill, 2004
Woodcut. Edition of 41.
16-1/2 x 19 inches.
$450
An Agricultural Aphorism: "Take a Rest!", 2004
Woodcut. Edition of 41.
16-3/4 x 19-1/4 inches.
#29499
$450Translation:
"An Agricultural Aphorism: Take a Rest!"
A moving seed cannot sprout.
A Walk, 2004
Woodcut. Edition of 43.
12-1/2 x 23 inches.
$550
Dandelion’s Night Sky, 2004
Woodcut. Edition of 53.
23 x 29-1/4 inches.
#29503
$700Translation:
Dandelion’s Night Sky
Today the whole universe seems to exist only for you.
A Ladder, 2004
Woodcut. Edition of 49.
23 x 27-1/2 inches.
#29505
$700Translation:
A Ladder
An upward path,
A beautiful single path,
That leads to the wide space...
Work, 2004
Woodcut. Edition of 40.
10-1/4 x 39 inches.
$900
The Perfect World, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 24.
9-1/2 x 23 inches.
#29492
$500Translation:
The Perfect World
A one-legged frog is swimming around.
You, as you are now, are perfect.
A Good Day, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 33.
12-3/4 x 23 inches.
#27836
$600Translation:
After rain,
Everything looks clear.
The dog is barking at the cat.
It must be a good day.
Travel Diary of the East River I, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 42.
21-3/4 x 23 inches.
#27836
$600Translation:
Excuse Me. We must cross this river. Please excuse us. We will go as quietly as possible.
Travel Diary of the East River II, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 40.
23 x 26-1/2 inches.
#27837
$700Translation:
Empty Riverside. Lying in an empty boat. Raining sunshine and passing breezes touch my skin. I lay aside frivolous thought for the moment.
Dandelion , 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 27.
16-1/2 x 19-1/2 inches.
#27831
$450Translation:
Early in the spring, the dandelion has not yet blossomed.
The mind already sees its spores flying away.
As You Sow, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 33.
16-1/2 x 25-3/4 inches.
#29490
$600Translation:
As You Sow
Reap as you sow,
And if there is no more greed,
You will be calm.
A Spring Day, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 41.
16 x 19 inches.
#29486
$450Translation:
A Spring Day
Dear!
Do you hear the birds chirping?
The chirping you hand over to me!
Ginseng Patch, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 30.
17 x 29 inches.
$900
Early Evening Stars, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 34.
16-1/2 x 27-1/2 inches.
#27839
$600Translation:
Early Evening Stars
After working in the field
We met under the starry sky.
I wish we were little stars.
Outing to Go Home, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 55.
16-1/2 x 25-1/2 inches.
#27838
$600Translation:
Where are you going?
My house?
The one that I left?
Song of Life, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 33.
16-1/2 x 19-1/2 inches.
#27832
$450Translation:
On a snowy day,
in the little basket,
the seeds wait for spring.
Yin and Yang, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 32.
13 x 23 inches.
#29494
$550Translation:
Yin and Yang
Near at the same time Far.
Look at the Birds in the Sky!, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 25.
23 x 27-1/4 inches.
$700
A Homebound Ship, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 40.
19-1/2 x 23 inches.
#29483
$550Translation:
A Homebound Ship
On the water
A ship was returning to a small house,
After sailing in the wide open space.
Good Day, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 53.
3-1/2 x 23 inches.
$600Translation:
Sleep without dream,
labor without thought.
(A clear mind, an empty mind)
In that everyday is a good day.
White Butterfly of the East River, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 44.
9-1/2 x 23 inches.
$500Translation:
When we went to Urayon,
one white butterfly calmly
flew over the East River.
Little Things, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 40.
$550.Translation:
You ought to love the world
little by little, little things.
How to Appreciate the Paintings, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 42.
19-1/2 x 23 inches.
#29484
$550Translation:
How to Appreciate the Paintings
Forget the painter and meet the paintings.
If you find the stories the paintings are telling you interesting, Just take them. You may even go somewhere quiet with those stories. "You didn’t find anything interesting? Why didn’t you leave earlier?"
A Cloudless Day, 2002
Woodcut. Edition of 40.
Image: 17 x 22 inches.
$700Translation:
I used to think the tall trees on a high mountain
were the highest. And now I see a small bird
flying in the sky over the mountain.
It’s too far for you isn’t it?, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 51.
Image: 18-1/2 x 19-1/2 inches.
$700Translation:
"It’s too far for you isn’t it?"
"It’s not too bad..."
An Autumn Way, 2002
Woodcut. Edition of 34.
Image: 13 x 14 inches.
$450Translation:
The wind blowing in my mind
And those many falling leave
A Snowy Path, 2002
Woodcut. Edition of 45.
Image: 13 x 20 inches.
$550Translation:
I walked on a snowy path.
My own quiet path.
In a white world.
Your Way, 2001
Woodcut. Edition of 30.
Image: 12 x 16 inches.
$500Translation:
No need to hurry.
As long as you walk along, that much is the way for you.
Slowly go on your own way.
I Must Cross the River, 2001
Woodcut. Edition of 42.
Image: 7-1/2 x 20 inches.
$500Translation:
There flows a river of desire.
The current is rough from time to time.
I should look not at the current but at a big tree on the other side.
The Stack of Firewood, 1995
Woodcut. Edition of 63.
37-1/2 x 12-1/2 inches.
$1000Translation:
The day the Sunbeams were stacked quietly in the backyard.
The Perfect Vessel, 2001
Woodcut. Edition of 21.
Image: 22 x 13 inches.
$600Translation:
They said the vessel was useless because it was bent in the middle.
I filled it with water and put a pruned-off twig in it.
Suddenly today, I found the flowers bloomed.
Ah, the vessel is pretty: it is perfect.
Shopping, 2003
Woodcut. Edition of 17.
Image: 13 x 16 inches.
$450Translation:
A downpour of rain.
It fell like bar codes.
We walked through it.
A Clear Day, 1998
Woodcut. Edition of 22.
Image: 16-1/2 x 16-1/2 inches.
$550
A Moving Day, 1998
Woodcut. Edition of 26.
Image: 13-1/2 x 22 inches.
$600
A Fish of No Mind, 1998
Woodcut. Edition of 31.
15 x 16 inches.
$450Translation:
A fish of "No Mind"
Swims in the emptiness.
Smells fishy.
Birds Flying Up, 1998
Woodcut. Edition of 31.
14 x 18 inches.
$550
O My Heart Pours Forth, 1994
Woodcut. Edition of 42.
38 x 39 inches.
$1500
Wind - Husband and Wife Together, 1991
Woodcut. Edition of 46.
Image: 14 x 35 inches.
$1000
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