▲ Sculptor Lee Young-su aka Daeya

I carve myself today and tomorrow. 
I find myself in every nook and corner of life.
In search of hope and joy of lighthouse,
In passion of instincts and actions,
I dance with a torch of delight. 
– Artist’s note –

From hobby to sculptor
Sculptor Lee Young-su was born and grew in Eumseong County. He spent his childhood kicking a winged disc in the air, throwing a stone, stick tossing and kiteflying. He carved a top to spin, and made himself kites and sledges. The dexterity led him to won a prize at a skills competition when in high school. He entered Hansung University and studied business administration at night. It was when he served in the army after graduation that he started carving things with wood in his spare time. 

“I found a great fun in carving things with wood and I made a lot of figures until discharged. As my skill grew month by month, I came to think that I should do something I was good at. So it began” said Lee in retrospect. 

When he felt that he was good enough to have a go for competitions, he did and made a strong presence alongside winning two grand prizes. He used the rooftop of a community center for his workshop and people started to show interest. 

“The community center chief said how come I had this good hobby. Some others also praised that I might have to join an art association right now. I was much flattered but at the same time much encouraged; I thought I should deepen my knowledge and skill to a professional level to meet the praise I was given.

As luck would have it, Chung-Ang University Graduate School of Art was recruiting non-art major students and he felt he would be a fool to miss this golden opportunity. Indeed, he deepened his knowledge and skill under the teachings of professor Sim Moon-sup and successfully finished the course with a master’s degree in sculpture. Soon after graduation, he joined the Korean Fine Arts Association and started his professional career as a sculptor in earnest. 

Lee uses various materials including wood and soil that can be gained in his daily life. Likewise, many of his works are things familiar to people. Also for this reason, Lee focuses more on the process of creating a work than the result of the work.

Serving as head of the Korean Fine Arts Association Uijeongbu

The subjects of his works are wide and various as much as materials he uses. This variety has attracted attention from art collectors with keen eye and he has participated, and been invited to, 98 exhibitions of which 8 times he won prizes including a ministerial prize and a governor’s prize. 

He has served as the head of the Korean Fine Arts Association Uijeongbu, the second division head of Gyeonggi Province exhibition support division, a judge to choose sculpting works of Uijeongbu, an operation committee member of the Gyeonggi Art Contest Exhibition, and a judge of the Ansan and Hoeryong Art Exhibition. 

Stamp collector

Lee has collected stamps since he was a child. According to Lee, stamps are an important record of world history. For example, stamps are issued for Olympic Games and other various international sport competitions. What is more, stamps contain flowers, trees and landmarks of a specific nation and we can see cars, golf balls, stationery and environmental images according to the time people lived. 

Having collected a variety of stamps and served as a member of various stamp organizations, Lee received 7 prizes including a ministerial prize, a president’s prize of the Korea Post (mail), and another president’s prize from the Seoul Regional Communications Office. 

“I would like to have a solo exhibition for my collection alongside sculptures before I retire” said Lee as his future plan.