Lee Bul has often found herself caught between opposing forces. Born in South Korea under the dictatorship in 1964, in a small city close to a military base, she witnessed the rapid modernisation of the nation, as well as sweeping political change.
She watched the American Forces Network on television without understanding English. “It has influenced me a lot,” she reflects over Zoom from her studio in Seoul. “I think the boundary between the east and the west is very blurry. It’s just that we are educated to see them as distinct.” She is quietly assertive, and though confident in English, has today chosen to speak through an interpreter to ensure precision in her words. She listens intently as they translate.
