Interviewer and Editor: Aanchal Tekriwal (Godda, Jharkhand, India)

Lee.K is a contemporary visual artist based in Seoul, celebrated for his expressive grayscale paintings that explore the depths of human emotion, complex feelings, inner struggles, and the silent battles we all fight. His signature style often centers on the silent language of the eyes, capturing what words cannot express. Born in 1983, Lee.K is also known as Lee Killust. His artistry goes beyond the monochrome tones he is famous for; he works with oil, pencil, and charcoal, creating textures and shadows that add depth to his visual storytelling.

Every piece he creates feels personal, powerful, and intimate, making Lee.K a narrator of the human experience. We at Hallyuism had the golden opportunity to connect with him. In this exclusive conversation, he opens up about his artistic journey, creative philosophy, and upcoming projects that promise to captivate art lovers worldwide.

Your journey into art began at a young age. Can you share what initially encouraged you to pursue art professionally? And how did those starting experiences shape your current artistic style?

I was a child who found it easier to express emotions through images rather than words. Visual language felt far more natural to me than spoken language. However, due to the practicalities of life, I had to step away from art for a while. It wasn’t until my mid-30s that I picked up the brush again, not as a hobby, but as a conscious decision to live my life through art. That emotional turning point deeply shaped my current body of work, especially the recurring themes of silence and inner suffering.

Much of your work explores silence and what’s left unsaid, and yet the faces you paint feel personal and familiar. Do you feel your art can reach emotional depths where even language can’t reach? And how do you approach that?

I believe art has the power to reach a truth that lies beyond language. Some emotions lose their depth the moment we try to articulate them with words. Through my work, I try to capture what remains unspoken. The figures I paint may not have voices, but through their eyes and facial expressions, I hope viewers can sense loss, pain, and solitude. That’s where true emotional connection begins.

_{Picture Credits: @leekillust (Instagram)}

In your “Denial of Language” series, you often hide or remove the mouth of your subjects, but the eyes still convey a profound agony. What inspired this series? And what drives you to continue exploring this theme over such a long period?

This series was born from the belief that human suffering doesn’t always need to be communicated through language. Words can sometimes distort or even diminish genuine emotion. By removing the mouth, the viewer’s gaze is naturally drawn to the eyes, which I believe are the most honest vessels of feeling. I continue to explore this theme because it allows me to sustain an internal dialogue that feels unfinished, one that is carried forward through each painting.

Talking about Denial of Language, you have also published a book by the same name. What led you to put this idea into print? And what does “denial of language” mean as a series and as a book personally mean to you?

The concept of “Denial of Language” encapsulates my artistic identity. It’s a philosophy that I felt needed to go beyond visuals alone, which is why I decided to turn it into a book. That book represents a chronology of my work, a record of emotion, and in many ways, a personal confession. It’s an attempt to invite others into the deeper layers of my silence.

You’ve often referred to Jimin as your muse. Your portraits of him got a lot of recognition, including being featured at the prestigious Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. What is it about Jimin that resonates with you so deeply, and how does he inspire your art?

To me, Jimin is not just an idol but an artist who reveals his inner emotions with sincerity on stage. There’s a depth to his expressions, gestures, and gaze that resonates with the complexity of human feeling. That emotional honesty made him an ideal subject for my work. Painting him became another form of emotional interpretation, an artistic study that also reflected parts of myself.

You’ve been actively participating in the FOCUS Art Fair, showcasing your work in major cities like Paris, London, and New York. How has this international exposure through FOCUS helped you shape your artistic journey? And what does this collaboration mean to you personally and professionally?

FOCUS Art Fair has meant much more to me than just an opportunity to exhibit—it has been a true space for dialogue. Meeting people from diverse cultures, languages, and emotional backgrounds and seeing their genuine responses to my work has given me the strength to continue as an artist. On a professional level, it expanded my perspective and deepened the questions I ask in my creative process. On a personal level, it reaffirmed my belief that art can transcend borders and speak to universal emotions.

You’ve held many solo exhibitions as well. Could you share how your solo shows have allowed you to build a deeper connection with your audience? And how do you decide what emotional themes to explore each time?

A solo exhibition is like opening a new chapter of my emotional narrative. It allows me to reveal, honestly and intimately, what I’ve been feeling or wrestling with at that point in time. When preparing for a show, I begin by focusing on a single emotional theme, whether it’s sadness, fear, memory, or longing—and explore how that feeling can take visual form. I collect references, organize them, and gradually shape a coherent emotional flow. That process of emotional curation is one of the most meaningful parts of my artistic journey.

In your piece, “Blue Book”, you used three different graphite techniques from your archive to portray a classical sculpture blending of Eastern and Western elements. How does this work connect to your personal art story?

“Blue Book” is a work in which I revisited my artistic roots. I have long been influenced by the ideal forms found in classical Western sculpture, as well as the stillness and subtlety of traditional Eastern aesthetics. This piece represents my attempt to blend those two worlds through my own lens. The three graphite techniques I used reflect the time and experimentation I’ve accumulated over the years. Within this work, I tried to create a dialogue between past and present, East and West, idealism and reality.

Your grayscale portraits are layered with charcoal, ink, and pencil. What’s your initial thought process when choosing how to build a piece? Do you start with a specific face in mind, or do features evolve during the process?

I don’t usually begin with a predetermined face. Instead, I start with an emotion that arises from within. As I work, the features—eyes, nose, lips, gradually take form, almost as if they’re being revealed through the feeling itself. Sometimes I use real people as reference, but more often, the subject is someone drawn from my memory, emotion, or even an imagined version of myself. That may be why viewers often say, “This face feels familiar somehow.” They’re not specific, but they aren’t strangers either.

_{Picture Credits: @leekillust (Instagram)}

Who is Lee.K when he’s not creating art? What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Any hobbies or interests that help you relax or just have fun.

Outside of my studio, I live a fairly quiet and simple life. I enjoy spending time with my family, taking walks, and observing nature. Films, music, and books also offer me a great deal of comfort. These quiet moments are actually essential to my creative energy. Without them, I don’t think I could return to my work with the same depth. When I’m not making art, I simply try to be present, and I believe that presence finds its way back into my paintings.

Who has a big influence on your work, someone you admire and have grown up watching? And are there any recent artists whose work has caught your eye and you’re following now?

I’ve been asked this kind of question quite often. And my answer is always the same: I draw inspiration from “myself.” When I’m uninspired, I go back to my archive, sketches, concepts, and technical studies I’ve accumulated over time, and carefully revisit what I’ve already done. Because I’ve experimented with so many different approaches, this habit of re-examining my own history often leads me to something new.

The awe and strange sense of competition I feel toward my past self-drives me to both protect and surpass who I was. That internal process of self-challenge has become my most reliable source of inspiration.

Your oil paintings have caught people’s attention for their raw emotion and abstract style. How do you explore these themes? How do you feel they express emotions differently from your other work?

Oil painting is, for me, the most direct language of emotion. Every brushstroke, every layer of pigment carries feeling, often beyond what I can articulate in words. That’s why I often begin oil paintings without any preliminary sketch. The themes—human suffering, silence, waiting, absence—may remain consistent, but their texture evolves with each work.

I’d say my monochromatic drawings express refined emotion, while my oil paintings reveal explosive emotion. Both are necessary to my practice, but oil allows for a kind of raw intensity I can’t find elsewhere.

_{Picture Credits: @leekillust (Instagram)}

You’ve a range of compelling series, like ‘Synonyms of Silence,’ ‘Color Symphony,’ ‘Denial of Language,’ and so on. How do you approach the conceptualization of these series and their titles? How do you come up with such curative names for each? What is the hidden idea behind this?

I consider the titles of my series to be just as important as the works themselves. To me, a title is not merely a label; it’s an emotional phrase, a poem without words. For example, Synonyms of Silence emerged from the belief that silence carries many shades of emotion. Some people use silence to express love, while others use it to conceal anger.

Blooming speaks to the identity that arises through pain, and Color Symphony explores layers of emotion through color. When naming a series, I try to choose words that are both compact and open language that captures a feeling while leaving space for interpretation.

You use grey a lot in your work. Why do you choose grey? What does this shade mean to you and your art style?

Grey is, to me, the most honest color. It lies between black and white, not definite, not loud, yet it contains so many unspoken narratives. It also serves as a bridge between colors, a supporting voice that connects them. Through grey, I express sadness, stillness, and at times, healing. I don’t believe any emotion can be defined by a single color, and that’s why grey remains central to my work. It’s a color of questions rather than declarations, of reflection rather than resolution. My creative process always begins with grey.

_{Picture Credits: @leekillust (Instagram)}

They say, “Artists put a piece of themselves into their work.” Have you explored your own emotions through your artwork? And how do you find the right balance between attachment and letting go as an artist?

Yes, I do project myself into every piece I create. Even when I don’t intend to, my emotions naturally seep into the work. Some pieces feel too personal to reveal immediately, while others leave me the moment they are finished. As an artist, emotional attachment is inevitable, but I try to draw a line between who I am after completing the work and who I was within it.

Each piece eventually leaves me and begins its own journey, becoming part of someone else’s emotional landscape. Respecting that transition is part of my philosophy as an artist.

Your art has touched so many around the world. How do you see your work evolving? And finally, what would you like to say to your fans who’ve supported you throughout your journey?

I will continue to explore the human condition—its complexities, contradictions, and vulnerabilities. Even as technology evolves and artistic formats shift, I believe the essence of emotion will remain constant. My work will keep questioning and experimenting within that space.

To those who have supported me, I offer my deepest gratitude. It is because you’ve listened to my silence and seen meaning in my paintings that I can continue on this path. I hope that my art continues to stir something inside of you, however quietly. Thank you.

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Once again, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your precious time and sharing insights about your journey. Thank you so much. On behalf of the entire team at Hallyuism, we wish you all the best for your future projects and lots of love from India!

We hope you all loved reading this interview as much as we loved conducting it. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!