Lee Ufan, Work on Paper and Sculpture in Tokyo
Published on 08/20/2026 at 14:11 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Lee Ufan marks a concentrated presence in Tokyo this summer with the solo exhibition Lee Ufan: Work on Paper / Sculpture at SCAI THE BATHHOUSE. As the gallery states, the show runs from August 4 to October 10, 2026, presenting works on paper and sculptural pieces from the 1970s to recent years. SCAI THE BATHHOUSE exhibition information
The Tokyo summer exhibition
At SCAI THE BATHHOUSE in Tokyo, Lee Ufan: Work on Paper / Sculpture is described as the artist’s first solo gallery show in the city in four years, aligning with major international presentations in Venice, New York and Avignon in 2026. Tokyo Weekender exhibition overview
The exhibition brings together charcoal and watercolor works on paper with sculptural pieces linked to his long-running Relatum series, in which river stones are placed in relation to industrial iron plates, emphasizing encounter and tension between materials.
Award context and museum horizon
The current Tokyo show unfolds against a wider institutional horizon: Museum Ludwig in Cologne lists Lee Ufan as recipient of the 2026 Wolfgang Hahn Prize, with a related exhibition scheduled from November 7, 2026 to April 4, 2027. Museum Ludwig preview page
ArtReview underscores that the Society for Modern Art at Museum Ludwig will acquire works by Lee Ufan in conjunction with the prize, confirming his position within the tier of artists whose practices are systematically integrated into major European museum collections.
All news and background on Lee Ufan
Further reports on Lee Ufan’s exhibitions, awards and institutional projects are available in the AD HOC NEWS archive.
The work core across media
Lee Ufan is closely associated with the Mono-ha movement and has developed a practice that moves between painting, sculpture and installation, often articulating relations between natural stones and fabricated steel plates in the Relatum works.
His works on paper, many of which appear in the Tokyo show, echo this attention to interval and restraint through sparse marks, charcoal lines and washes that insist on the viewer’s awareness of empty space and the time embedded in each gesture.
Where the artist stands now
Lee Ufan’s current trajectory links the Tokyo exhibition with long-running presentations at Dia Beacon and Venice, while the Wolfgang Hahn Prize show at Museum Ludwig is announced for November 7, 2026 to April 4, 2027, extending his institutional visibility into early 2027.
Key facts on Lee Ufan
- Artist: Lee Ufan
- Medium / Genre: Painting, sculpture and installation (conceptual, Mono-ha)
- Born: 1936, Haman-gun, South Gyeongsang Province, Korea
- Place(s) of practice: Studio practice based in Kamakura, Japan, with extensive exhibition activity in Europe and Asia
- Active since: Late 1960s, with key Mono-ha works emerging in the early 1970s
- Key work groups: Relatum, From Line, From Point, Correspondence
- Current/last exhibition: Lee Ufan: Work on Paper / Sculpture, SCAI THE BATHHOUSE, Tokyo, August 4 to October 10, 2026
- Major collections: Dia Art Foundation (Beacon), Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), Museum Ludwig (Cologne), Lee Ufan Museum (Naoshima), Lee Ufan Arles
- Awards: Wolfgang Hahn Prize 2026 (Museum Ludwig, Cologne)
- Next date: Wolfgang Hahn Prize exhibition, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, November 7, 2026 to April 4, 2027
Frequently asked questions about Lee Ufan
Where is Lee Ufan currently on view in August 2026?
In August 2026, Lee Ufan is on view at SCAI THE BATHHOUSE in Tokyo with the solo exhibition Lee Ufan: Work on Paper / Sculpture, running from August 4 to October 10, 2026.
What defines the exhibition Lee Ufan: Work on Paper / Sculpture at SCAI THE BATHHOUSE?
The Tokyo exhibition gathers drawings and sculptures from the 1970s to recent years, highlighting Lee Ufan’s sustained engagement with materiality and the dialogue between two-dimensional works on paper and three-dimensional Relatum-related sculptures.
Which award has Lee Ufan recently received?
Museum Ludwig and the Society for Modern Art in Cologne have announced Lee Ufan as the recipient of the 2026 Wolfgang Hahn Prize, with an associated exhibition of his work planned from November 7, 2026 to April 4, 2027.
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.
