PROFILE
Born in 1986 in Hokkaido, Japan. Started drawing from childhood and studied painting when studying abroad in the U.S. Started full-fledged activities as a painter in 2019. He mainly paints acrylic works, as well as pictures and letters used for signboards, advertising art, and windows.
Instagram:@izumidalee
Recent.
-Lee, I understand that you recently moved your base of operations from Tokyo to Sapporo.
Lee: That's right. I moved to my hometown in Hokkaido because my paintings were getting bigger and I needed a larger space. Also, rent in Tokyo is expensive. But even though I was paying rent, I was often only in Tokyo for about one week a month, and I was on business trips a lot.
Lee: Plus, in the summer, it would be sad if something happened to the work because of the humidity, so I thought I would take the plunge and go back to Hokkaido," he said. Also, I wanted to see how a change in environment would change the feeling of the paintings, so I wanted to see that too.
-If you were only in Tokyo for a week in May, you are really moving around on a daily basis.
Lee: Thankfully, I travel a lot, and I have been invited to many events and private exhibitions, such as painting murals in stores. I also like to travel, so I was in Japan and abroad last year.
-Do you still take your art supplies with you when you do this?
Lee: We will take it with us.
-How often do you go on business trips now?
Lee: It totally varies from month to month, and sometimes I am hardly home at all when there is a lot of work. Even when I am not at home much, I go on a business trip and travel once or twice a month.
-So, even if you moved to Sapporo, would your lifestyle have changed much?
Lee: Actually, yes. The environment for painting has become more comfortable, but other than that, not at all. I thought I would change a little more (laughs). People don't change that easily.
