Duru Art Space to Participate in 'Expo Chicago 2026' with Two-Person Exhibition Featuring Yu Hee and Yujin Lee

Exploring Layers of Time and the Visual Grammar of East and West
Theme: "The Aesthetics of Black and White and Variations of Time"

Duru Art Space announced on April 2 that it will participate in the U.S. art fair 'Expo Chicago 2026' and showcase a two-person exhibition featuring artists Yu Hee and Yujin Lee.

Yujin Lee, The Lord of the Rings, 2026. Duru Art Space

The theme of the exhibition, "The Aesthetics of Black and White and Variations of Time," centers on the use of black and white as a shared artistic language between the two participating artists. Yu Hee's "Self-sustaining Order" series accumulates repeated actions—squeezing, layering, and pushing away paint—on the canvas, capturing both the flow of time and the immediacy of each gesture. Yujin Lee constructs compositions where the visual grammar of East and West intersect by arranging narratives and symbolic objects from Western films within the traditional Korean chaekgado (bookshelf painting) format.

Yu Hee's work proposes a pictorial space where order and chaos, logic and intuition coexist, achieved through structures that balance calculated straight lines with intuitive brushstrokes. Yujin Lee's chaekgado series translates objects inspired by films such as "The Devil Wears Prada" and "The Lord of the Rings" into the visual grammar of Joseon-era bookshelf paintings, bringing personal tastes, memories, and stories to the canvas.

Yu Hee Self-sustaining Order 76x76cm Acrylic on Canvas 2024. DURU Art Space

Duru Art Space explained that both artists focus less on "what is painted" and more on "how order and meaning emerge," building their work on architectural and structural compositions. While Yu Hee visualizes the process of generating order through repeated actions, Yujin Lee reveals moments where meaning is translated between the cultural codes of East and West.

Kim Jeongsook, CEO of Duru Art Space, stated, "Yu Hee and Yujin Lee each pursue the formative qualities of art and the value of contemporary art from their unique perspectives," adding, "We plan to present a world of painting that touches on the most fundamental nature of art."

Expo Chicago 2026 will be held at Navy Pier in Chicago, United States. The VIP preview will take place on April 9 from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time, and general admission will be open from April 10 to 12.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.