Art of reconciliation – Patrick Lee’s art

Suture past and present time

Patrick Lee was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1948. Patrick Lee, as one of witnesses of the rapid changes of society and economics in Taiwan, he plays multiple roles in the field of fashion, fine dining and design. he is also an international well-known artist, devoted to creating art with meanings of self-reflection and reconciliation. Suture past and present time is the core concept of Patrick Lee’s art. He believes artists learn from culture and history to create significant masterpieces for offspring.

The year 1948 was the one year before Chiang Kai-Shek led his government to move to Taiwan from China. Patrick Lee was born in the time of political instability and whole society was suffering identity conflicts between existed residences and new migrants from China. In later 30 years he also has witnessed rapid economic growth in Taiwan and became one successful businessman. He was with full of emotions to share his life experiences after he went through turbulent years. In his middle age, he decided to be a full-time artist to interpret his life philosophy and culture perspectives by art creation. Being a professional artist has been Patrick Lee’s childhood dream. His family and he Could not afford him to study art so he saved money for buying oil paints and was self-taught when he studied accounting course at the university. From a self-taught artist to present an artist with international fame, he has been described as a modernist poet—one who works beyond the confines of conventional rhyme and meter.”

Cave Art It is one of Patrick Lee’s important series that made in 2018. The series is inspired by Buddhism art in Dunhuang region. Buddhism temples are built in caves and cliffs, contain magnificent collections of historical archives, wall drawings and sculptures by which prove cross-culture exchange along the Silk Roads. However, Dunhuang Grottoes have been damaged by desert weather or man-made sabotage over thousands of years. Patrick Lee traced lines of figures and ruined textures of surfaces from original paintings. He does not attempt to reproduce original colors and textures when the wall drawing was completed in thousands of years ago. Instead, he keeps footprints of time on the surface of Cave Art and creates a magical angle that makes this painting shining in a certain distance under spotlights. It is to demonstrate the prosperous period of culture exchange and economic trading in Dunhuang region during Han and Tang dynasty in Chinese history. Patrick Lee believes spirit of love and peace that sent by Buddhism is lasted for an eternity and will not be destroyed by time.

Time For A Drink

This silkscreen work describes two iconic politician figures during the Civil War in the 20th Century China. It is Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-Shek, Chiang Kai-Shek holds a bottle of beer labelled “Taiwan Beer” in on hand and puts another hand on Mao Zedong ‘s shoulder. Both of them have a big smile on their faces and look up into the same direction happily and friendly. It is a fictitious and humorous work that highlights political tensions between two sides of Taiwan Strait may be relieved and two political bodies will reach a settlement in mediation in the future.

Planet series

Patrick Lee states “when I do more art, more emotions as a result of minimalism.” Patrick Lee is inspired by freehand brushworks, one of revolutionary landscape painting skills in Chinese painting history. Patrick Lee utilizes acrylic paints to reproduce textures of ink paints. He applies expressive brush lines and colors to imbue illusionistic representations. A round shape planet is pained in bright and warm color. It occupies most of space in a painting. It rises over the horizon and brings a light of hopes in a mysterious land.

Patrick Lee was born in Taiwan in 1948, graduating from National Chengchi University in Taipei. Since 2003, Lee has exhibited in Taiwan and internationally, including 2015 Milano Expo International Contemporary Art, where he was the only exhibiting artist from Asia. In addition, he has exhibited at 2011 Vantone Taipei, 2015 Venice Triennia, and 2015 Art + Shanghai. Lee’s artworks have also been in various charity auctions in Taipei and Shanghai since 2006 and has helped support different charity organizations in Taiwan and abroad.