Series: Ginkgo Leaf
The Ginkgo Leaf Series began beneath a ginkgo tree, where Lee found himself observing the movement of leaves as they fell and accumulated around him. This encounter became the starting point for a series of paintings exploring movement, colour, nature and the fleeting experience of beauty.
Each painting retains a single ginkgo leaf as an anchor, providing a recognisable point of reference within increasingly spontaneous and expressive compositions. The leaf establishes a relationship between the natural subject and the abstract gestures that develop around it.
Lee begins with broad strokes of Kaimei Sumi ink on gesso, building the composition through successive layers of oil, acrylic and translucent washes. Paint thinner and linseed oil introduce fluidity, allowing colours to spread, overlap and interact. Yellow, peach and persimmon tones expand across the surface through spontaneous gestures, visible textures, streaks and the distinctive marks left by brush tips.
As the paintings develop, the original leaf becomes increasingly integrated into the surrounding movement of colour. The compositions move away from conventional botanical representation towards a more instinctive interpretation of the experience of observing nature.