Lee Bae: Ultimate Form

The first worldwide monograph on internationally acclaimed South Korean contemporary artist Lee Bae.

Showcasing Lee Bae’s renowned “brushstrokes” series, this book includes previously unpublished artworks and a folio of perspectives on one of Korea’s most important living artists. Lee Bae’s monochromatic practice is a formal and immersive journey into the abyss of “blackness.” Subtly blurring the lines between drawing, painting, sculpture, and installation, Lee has developed his abstract aesthetics across mediums and boundaries to imbue “noncolor” with tangible depth and intensity. Charcoal, obtained by burning wood and used to revive fire, offers a powerful metaphor for the cycle of life that has further inspired him to expand his exploration to include the fourth dimension of time.

This beautiful and exciting volume is a treasure for art connoisseurs, collectors, and contemporary art researchers around the world, as well as readers interested in post-media spirituality, gestural creativity, and East Asian lineage and traditions.

Writer and editor Rosa Maria Falvo specializes in Asia Pacific and Middle Eastern art and culture, and is the editor of Rizzoli's monograph series on Korean masters Yoo Youngkuk (2020), Park Seo-Bo (2022) and Ha Chong-Hyun (2026). Geun-jun Michael Lim is a South Korean art and design critic, and art historian based in Seoul. Valentina Buzzi curated Lee Bae’s solo exhibition, La Maison de la Lune Brûlée, for the official collateral event of the 60th Venice Biennale (2024). Mark Rappolt is a curator, the editor-in-chief of ArtReview, and the founder of ArtReview Asia. Jin Joo Lee is an art historian specializing in East Asian modern and contemporary art, and the author of Park Seo-Bo: Écriture (Rizzoli, 2022).