Painted in 1980, the present lot is a classic example of Lee Ufan’s signature From Line series, of which the artist dedicated over ten years of his life between 1973 and 1984. In From Line No.800139, twenty-eight vertical lines are arranged vertically across the composition, each one varying in thickness of stroke, from being very thick at the top end to fading out and ultimately evaporating at the bottom as the paint is used up. The rich blue hue, which the artist created himself by mixing powdered cobalt pigment with glue, is a striking contrast to the wash of yellow oil paint that has been painted over the surface of the canvas, creating an illusion where the lines seem to vibrate. Characteristic of Lee’s practice, the work has been executed in a disciplined, almost ritualistic way, where each line is given equal importance, evoking a sense of rhythm and stillness to the composition as a whole. To create From Line No.800139, Lee rotates the canvas 90 degrees, then dips a round-tipped brush with pigment and pulls it from left to right across the canvas in repetitive fluid motions. Through synchronising each brushstroke with the rhythm of his breathing, Lee’s act of painting thus becomes a ritualistic, meditative process which results in a work of dramatic yet exquisite simplicity.

As a leading proponent of the Japanese avant-garde movement Mono-Ha, Lee sought to reject Western notions of representation in response to the rapid industrialization of Japan occurring in the 1970s, instead turning to his Confucian roots to draw upon calligraphy and Nihonga (Japanese style painting) as sources of inspiration in his art. As one of Lee’s earliest painting series, From Line has been exhibited internationally, including at the Guggenheim Museum, New York and the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto.