Ung Lim Lee to exhibit landscape art in St. Paul

Mountains and Trees, an exhibit of drawn and painted landscapes by Twin Cities artist Ung Lim Lee, will premiere at Xia Gallery in St. Paul with an opening reception to be held Friday, June 9, at 6 p.m.

Lee, age 90, was born in what is now North Korea. His art school education was interrupted when he had to travel to South Korea during the Korean War. After immigrating to the U.S. as a young adult, he had a long career as an advertising illustrator, but he always worked on his own drawing and painting.

After moving from New Jersey to Minnesota in 2017 to be with family, he spent the pandemic years developing his art, and has completed hundreds of works. Lee often uses unconventional materials and techniques such as permanent markers on dry-erase board, paint on frosted glass,  or pen on sheets of rubber to portray his own style of detailed representational art.  He often paints scenes from his homeland, and the Diamond Mountains (Kumgang-san) is a favorite motif.

Reservations for free tickets are encouraged (see link).  Xia Gallery supports local Asian American and BIPOC artists and makers. More information is at the gallery’s website.