Il Lee and Pouran Jinchi June 2008

In concert with the opening of its new headquarters on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the Vilcek Foundation invited the public to an exhibition curated by Art Projects International featuring the works of two critically acclaimed foreign-born artists, Il Lee, from Korea, and Pouran Jinchi, from Iran.
Mr. Lee is celebrated for his pioneering work in ballpoint pen on large-format paper and canvas, which is seen as a fusion of unorthodox media with references to traditional Asian ink paintings. In contrast to, yet complementing, Lee’s work were the mixed-media paintings of Pouran Jinchi, which derive from Iran’s traditions of literature and calligraphy. Ms. Jinchi morphs words and forms to develop her highly individual and contemporary aesthetic sensibility.

Mr. Lee and Ms. Jinchi have mastered the ability to blend elements from the cultural traditions of their home countries with contemporary materials, formats, and techniques. Both, in their distinctive styles, take a conceptually innovative and rigorous approach to their work, and demonstrate the qualities of multiculturalism celebrated by the Vilcek Foundation in its mission.