Featured Artist Paul Art Lee

Artist Paul Art Lee presents a stunning collection of paintings and the story of his faith journey. Enjoy, and visit his website to learn more.

 

 

I am a Korean-American artist and pastor living in California. Like many who walk the path of an artist, I have loved drawing since I was six years old. I formally began my artistic activities in 1984. However, in 1986, feeling a thirst for freedom and peace in both life and art, and to escape pain, I did a performance where I painted with my body. If I hadn’t done that, I might not be in this world today.

 

 

After that, I wandered mentally and spiritually. I began to step back from artistic activities while teaching students after graduating from art college in 1986. Wandering in both life and the spiritual realm, I eventually completely withdrew from life as an artist in 1995 and took a hiatus.

 

 

I arrived in the United States in 2004 and received God’s calling to become a pastor. I focused on teaching students entering art college and those with disabilities, as well as church and homeless ministries. This was still in the realm of art, but only for organizing exhibitions for the students I taught.

 

 

When I received citizenship, I prayed to God for a new name. God led me to decide on the name Paul Art, combining the gospel and art. At that time, I never dreamed that I would be actively working as an artist preaching the gospel.

 

 

I seriously started painting again on February 1, 2023. By then, I had realized that the thirst for true freedom and peace that had tormented my soul was fully resolved in our Lord Jesus Christ. From this point, I began to turn my eyes to myself, away from helping, healing, and restoring others.

 

 

As a pastor preaching the gospel, I prayed to God to allow me to live up to my name. At the center of my prayer were God’s holy glory, the gospel, love, and grace. Then, I prayed that people would be healed, restored, and comforted through my artwork. I am prepared to paint soul-saving pictures as a preacher of the gospel and God’s judgment, and as a healer of souls.

 

 

The theme of my work as I resumed my artistic activities is Light of Life. While praying to God about what and how to paint, I vividly recalled the words from Isaiah 60:1-3 and John 1:4 as if taking a photograph. For me, Light of Life is a personal exploration of love, grace, freedom of life, and peace found in culture, art, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

 

There are stories in the themes of my paintings centered on the gospel. The stories permeating the artworks are accompanied by symbolism. Therefore, numerous meanings are hidden in both abstract realms unfolding in color and realistic areas such as people, small animals, insects, fruits, and flowers. In this sense, my artistic world can be said to be between postmodernism and conceptual art. In particular, the lines and water drops I draw are crystallizations of God’s love and His kingdom.

 

 

Last year I mainly presented Light of Life – Garden Story. This year I’m focusing on the theme Light of Life – The Love Story. My artistic world, which begins and ends with prayer, is filled with the energy of Jesus Christ, who came to this world as the light of life and will come again, and God’s love and grace. I hope that the hearts and souls of those who come into contact with my artwork will be comforted, healed, restored, and newly recreated.

 

 

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