It is not difficult to find the restroom in the lobby on the first floor of LOTTE HOTEL WORLD. A most remarkable and striking pair of artworks hang in sharp contrast around the restroom for easy locating from anywhere in the lobby. Expressed in a rhythmic composition of dots, lines, and facets using the Korean Obangsaek color scheme, this piece by artist Lee Doo-shik has faithfully served as a landmark here since 2010. It is a work of dynamic and progressive abstract art, with a motif of festivals and using the medium of acrylic on canvas. Despite being categorized as abstract in technical Western terms, it is fundamentally based on the Oriental spirit. Executed with bold, candid and enthusiastic brush strokes, his paintings give off a strong energy reminiscent of boisterous, fun-filled and vibrant festivals held by Koreans. Lee’s bold touch conveys intuitive emotions in this abstract work expressing the progressive and dynamic passion of the Korean people, and the splendor of the traditional Obangsaek color scheme.

Lee Doo-shik got his start with a special selection in The Grand Art Exhibition of Korea at the age of 26 and won several Korean art awards, carving out a distinguished career as an artist until his passing. He was recognized as a leading practitioner of Western painting in the Korean art world, and was appointed the youngest-ever chairman of the Korean Fine Arts Association at the age of 49. Lee served as a professor and dean at the College of Fine Arts, Hongik University. As a painter, he continuously advanced the exploration of individual style and form, with a focus on expressing intuition and emotions. Throughout his life, the artist produced works that express intuitive emotions on canvas, with his signature bold touch based on the Obangsaek color scheme encapsulating the spirit of Korea. With the passing of time, he introduced changes to his techniques, methods of expression and themes, leaving his mark on the Korean art world. He served as chairman of the Busan Biennale Organizing Committee, director of the Hongik Museum of Art and member of the Arts Council of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. As a master of Korean abstract art, he held over 70 solo exhibitions in Korea and abroad throughout his career spanning 40 years since his debut in the late 1960s.