Lee Kit, a renowned artist who came into the spotlight at the Venice Biennale and is a leading figure in the Asian art scene, will be holding his solo exhibition, "We Were More Sensitive," at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art from September 16th to December 24th. This will be Lee Kit's first solo exhibition at a Japanese museum.

ⓒLee Kit, courtesy the artist and ShugoArts
Although currently based in Taipei, Lee Kit began his artistic career in his hometown of Hong Kong, which was undergoing transformation following its handover to China in 1997. Among his early works, Lee Kit's painting series, featuring checkered and other patterns on fabric, were groundbreaking works that broadened the concept of painting. They ranged from "abstract" paintings with color and pattern to "figurative" works that resembled everyday objects (e.g., tablecloths and curtains). In 2013, his free-flowing indoor and outdoor installations at the Hong Kong Pavilion at the Venice Biennale garnered international attention, with The Wall Street Journal naming them one of its "Top Five Must-See Exhibitions." In recent years, he has focused on installations that combine paintings, drawings, projected light and video, as well as furniture and everyday objects, creating a painting-like effect in the entire exhibition space. These installations have been exhibited throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia. Originally from Hong Kong, a city of turmoil with a unique historical background, Lee Kit seeks to question his own existence and confront the world in which he lives through the open expression of art.
When holding an exhibition, one of Lee Kit's defining characteristics is that he quietly integrates the atmosphere and emotions of the city or place, creating site-specific works (i.e., works created to exist in a specific location). The works he has shown in recent solo exhibitions in Tokyo (Shiseido Gallery, ShugoArts) are also based on what he sensed from the atmosphere and people of Tokyo.
For Lee, the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, originally the private residence of the Hara family, survived World War II, was returned by GHQ, and is now in its 40th year as a museum, making it the perfect time and space. What does Lee feel here, and what kind of "paintings" will he create? This first solo exhibition in Japan will be an opportunity to fully display Lee's charm.