CHUN-YI LEE (b.1965) Unyielding Mountains, 2009CHUN-YI LEE (b.1965)Unyielding Mountains, 2009Ink on paper, framed. 66.3cm high x 78.5cm wide (26 1/8in high x 30 7/8in wide).李君毅（1965年生）不屈的山 水墨紙本 鏡框 2009年作Born in Taiwan in 1965, Chun-Yi Lee moved to Hong Kong in 1970 and graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he was deeply influenced by his teacher Liu Kuo-sung. Lee obtained his MFA from the Graduate Program of Fine Arts of Tunghai University in Taiwan. Inspired by the ancient technique of Chinese ink-rubbing, at a distance his landscapes appear to be timeless archetypal landscapes reminiscent of traditional Chinese paintings that symbolise harmony with the cosmos. Upon closer inspection, however, one realises that the landscape is not created by brushstrokes but a stunningly meticulous grid-like structure. Eschewing the brush, Lee Chun-yi creates monumental yet intricately pixelated ink paintings produced by repeatedly imprinting small cubic stamps made of soft wood or cork. Lee's process is inspired by engraved stone steles from the Northern Wei period and the seals affixed to Chinese paintings or carved woodblocks used in traditional printmaking. This creates apparently ordinary yet deconstructed landscapes. Literally building up a visual composition through words, his paintings function as symbolic poems, with the strength of the stamp indicating the intended tone of expression.As a native of Taiwan and student in Hong Kong following the years of cultural unrest in mainland China, Lee positions his works between history and the current situation between the straits. The present lot is stamped with both the Communist hammer and sickle, as well as the Republican sun used in the Taiwanese flag. By depicting the landscape as a fragmented whole, Lee illustrates an interpretation of nationalism. While the landscape acts as a symbol of history and cultural identity, Lee breaks down the whole into a fragmented puzzle and a state of confusion. Lee's art, masterfully executed and thoughtfully conceived, is thus both nostalgic and revolutionary, forging an entirely unique and contemporary visual language even while evoking the past. Lee has participated in over 30 group and solo exhibitions internationally. His works have been collected by the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University; the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco; the Phoenix Art Museum, USA; the Jiangsu Art Museum; the Qingdao Art Museum, China; the National Arts Education Institute, Taipei; the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and other public and private collections.Compare with a related painting by Chun-Yi Lee, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 October 2015, lot 2835.