Go-Am Lee Ung-No (b. 1904 in Hongseong, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea) is a prolific figure in Korean modern and contemporary art who is considered to have transcended the barriers between Eastern and Western art with works that express nature and humans in a modern abstract style. Kim Gyu-jin, who mentored Prince Imperial Yeong (Yeongchinwang, the last Crown Prince of the Empire of Korea), held Lee Ung-No in high regard for his exceptional artistic talent. In 1924, Lee first gained attention when his art Cheongjook (green bamboo, 靑竹) was selected for the 3rd Joseon Art Exhibition. When he began his artistic career as a traditional ‘Four Gentlemen’ artist, Lee learned new styles of landscape painting while studying in Japan from the late 1930s to the early 1940s. He then later moved to France in 1958 and produced several works based on his own original style that melded qualities of Eastern and Western art, including his <Munjachusang (Abstract Letter)> and <Gunsang (People)> series. European art societies developed great interest in Lee’s works, many of which were presented in exhibitions in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, and the United States. In 1964, Lee founded the Academy of Oriental Painting in the Musée Cernuschi in Paris and played a pivotal role in spreading Eastern culture to the West by teaching Eastern calligraphy and art.

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