CHUN-YI LEE (b.1965) Painting in Poetry, 2012CHUN-YI LEE (b.1965)Painting in Poetry, 2012Ink on paper, hanging scroll. 152.4cm long x 68.6cm wide (60in long x 27in wide). 李君毅（1965年生）詩中有畫 水墨紙本 鏡框 2012年作Born in Taiwan in 1965, Chun-Yi Lee moved to Hong Kong in 1970 and graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he was deeply influenced by his teacher Liu Kuo-sung. Lee obtained his MFA from the Graduate Program of Fine Arts of Tunghai University in Taiwan. Inspired by the ancient technique of Chinese ink-rubbing, at a distance, his landscapes appear to be timeless archetypal landscapes reminiscent of traditional Chinese paintings that symbolise harmony with the cosmos. Upon closer inspection, however, one realises that the landscape is not created by brushstrokes but a stunningly meticulous grid-like structure. Eschewing the brush, Lee Chun-yi creates monumental yet intricately pixelated ink paintings produced by repeatedly imprinting small cubic stamps made of soft wood or cork. Lee's process is inspired by engraved stone steles from the Northern Wei period (386-535) and the seals affixed to Chinese paintings or carved woodblocks used in traditional printmaking. This creates apparently ordinary yet deconstructed landscapes. Literally building up a visual composition through words, his paintings function as symbolic poems, with the strength of the stamp indicating the intended tone of expression.As a native of Taiwan and student in Hong Kong following the years of cultural unrest in mainland China, Lee positions his works between history and the current situation between the straits. By depicting the landscape as a fragmented whole, Lee illustrates an interpretation of nationalism. While the landscape acts as a symbol of history and cultural identity, Lee breaks down the whole into a fragmented puzzle and a state of confusion. Lee's art, masterfully executed and thoughtfully conceived, is thus both nostalgic and revolutionary, forging an entirely unique and contemporary visual language even while evoking the past.The title of the present lot, 'Painting in poetry' is taken from the Northern Song dynasty literatus Su Shi (1037-1101) who commented on a the work of Tang dynasty poet and painter Wang Wei: 'in poetry there is painting, in painting there is poetry' (詩中有畫，畫中有詩). Lee takes this to a new level however, as his paintings are literally made of characters.