Lee Ufan, late-summer works on paper and sculpture in Tokyo
Published on 08/29/2026 at 13:21 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Lee Ufan marks the late summer in Tokyo with the solo exhibition Lee Ufan: Work on Paper / Sculpture at SCAI THE BATHHOUSE. As the gallery confirms, the show runs from August 4 to October 10, 2026, presenting drawings and sculptures from the 1970s to recent yearsSCAI THE BATHHOUSE exhibition page.
Late-summer solo show in Tokyo
The exhibition Lee Ufan: Work on Paper / Sculpture is described by SCAI THE BATHHOUSE as Lee’s first solo gallery show in Tokyo in four years, aligning with major institutional projects in Venice, Beacon and AvignonTokyo Weekender feature. It brings together charcoal and watercolor works on paper alongside pieces from the celebrated Relatum sculpture series.
According to the gallery, opening hours are from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Tuesday to Saturday, with the space closed on Sundays, Mondays, national holidays, and between August 8 and 17, 2026, for summer recessSCAI THE BATHHOUSE homepage. Admission is free, positioning the show as an accessible entry point to Lee’s long-term exploration of space, matter and perception.
From lines to Relatum sculptures
Tokyo Weekender highlights how the exhibition traces Lee’s practice from rhythmic early line drawings to later minimalist compositions that leave large areas of paper untouched, emphasizing restraint and the tension between gesture and blank spaceTokyo Weekender feature. On paper, sweeping charcoal strokes and thin watercolor bands register time as a physical trace.
The Relatum sculptures in the show juxtapose industrial iron plates with natural river stones, a format Lee has refined since the late 1960s as part of the Mono-ha movement. By adjusting the distance between stone and metal just slightly, he makes viewers conscious of gravity, tension and the fragile balance of the installation.
All news and background on Lee Ufan
For further reporting on Lee Ufan’s exhibitions, museum projects and long-term work groups, the AD HOC NEWS archive offers additional context and market coverage.
Parallel museum and biennial projects
The SCAI show sits alongside a series of major institutional presentations in 2026. Pace Gallery notes that Dia Beacon opened a substantial Lee Ufan exhibition on May 8, 2026, pairing paintings from the 1970s to early 1990s with key Relatum sculptures in long-term viewPace Gallery journal.
The same Pace overview and the Biennale Arte 2026 collateral events list confirm that Dia also organizes an exhibition of Lee’s work at SMAC San Marco Art Centre in Venice, running from May 9 to November 22, 2026Biennale Arte collateral events page. In Avignon, the project Relatum: Lee Ufan at the Palais des Papes extends his sculptural language into a historic architectural setting.
The work core and long series
Lee Ufan, born in 1936 in Kyongsang-namdo, Korea, is widely associated with the Mono-ha movement in Japan and with a philosophical approach that treats painting and sculpture as a meeting between material and viewer. He has long divided his work into series such as From Line, From Point, Dialogue and Relatum.
On paper, he often repeats a single brush gesture dozens of times, letting the pigment fade as the stroke progresses. In sculpture, he places stones and metal plates in direct relation, stressing that the work exists in the tension between things rather than in any single object.
Where the artist stands now
Against this backdrop, the Tokyo exhibition Lee Ufan: Work on Paper / Sculpture offers a concentrated late-summer view of key drawing and sculpture groups from the 1970s to recent years in a focused gallery setting in Yanaka.
Lee Ufan at a glance
- Artist: Lee Ufan
- Medium / Genre: Painting and sculpture (conceptual, Mono-ha)
- Born: 1936, Kyongsang-namdo, Korea
- Place(s) of practice: Kamakura (Japan) and Paris (France)
- Active since: Late 1960s, Mono-ha movement
- Key work groups: From Line, From Point, Dialogue, Relatum
- Current/last exhibition: Lee Ufan: Work on Paper / Sculpture, SCAI THE BATHHOUSE, Tokyo, August 4–October 10, 2026
- Major collections: Dia Art Foundation (Beacon), Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney)
- Awards: Wolfgang Hahn Prize 2026 (Museum Ludwig, Cologne)
- Next date: Wolfgang Hahn Prize exhibition at Museum Ludwig, Cologne, opening November 7, 2026 (outside 30-day window)
Frequently asked questions about Lee Ufan
Where is Lee Ufan currently on view in Tokyo?
Lee Ufan’s solo exhibition Lee Ufan: Work on Paper / Sculpture is on view at SCAI THE BATHHOUSE in Tokyo from August 4 to October 10, 2026, featuring drawings and Relatum sculptures across five decades.
What works are highlighted in the SCAI THE BATHHOUSE exhibition?
The show includes charcoal and watercolor works on paper ranging from early line drawings to later minimalist compositions, shown alongside selected Relatum sculptures that pair industrial iron plates with natural river stones.
How does the Tokyo exhibition relate to Lee Ufan’s 2026 museum projects?
The SCAI exhibition coincides with major institutional presentations at Dia Beacon in New York and at SMAC San Marco Art Centre in Venice, underscoring how Lee’s long-running series are currently being revisited across multiple continents.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
