The Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA) has named Korean artist Fi Jae Lee as the recipient of the ‘2025 Dorothea Tanning Award’, making her the first Korean artist to receive this prestigious honor.

Established in memory of Dorothea Tanning (1910–2012), a renowned American surrealist painter, the award is recognized as one of the most distinguished prizes supporting experimental and innovative approaches in contemporary visual art.

Since its founding in 1963, FCA has supported non-mainstream and avant-garde contemporary art, identifying and encouraging visionary artists shaping the future of visual arts. The 'Dorothea Tanning Award', granted annually to a single visual artist, includes a $45,000 grant. This year, Fi Jae Lee’s selection underscores the increasing international recognition of Korean contemporary art.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1981, Lee earned both her BFA and MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Over the years, she has developed a distinctive artistic practice spanning painting, sculpture, installation, and performance art. She often employs non-traditional materials, such as reinforced plastic and Buddhist gold pigment, to create a unique visual and conceptual language. Her works explore themes of memory, time, human existence, and transformation, bridging tradition with contemporary methodologies to challenge conventional artistic boundaries.

In her recent solo exhibition, 《Excavating Future Species》 (2023, Artspace3, Seoul), Lee presented sculptures and paintings resembling bizarre, organic life forms, deepening her ongoing exploration of evolution and transformation. The exhibition also featured an interactive performance, ‘Food Reincarnation,’ where audiences engaged with the cyclical relationship between human consumption and the birth of new life. Her ability to craft immersive, thought-provoking experiences has been a defining characteristic of her work, gaining international acclaim.

On receiving the ‘Dorothea Tanning Award’, Lee reflected on her practice, stating: "My work is a process of reconstructing time and memory, an exploration of the essence of human existence. This award motivates me to pursue even more ambitious experiments and challenges."

As Korean contemporary art gains global recognition, Lee’s success opens new doors for the next generation of Korean artists, reinforcing their presence and influence in the international art scene. With Korean artists increasingly making their mark on the global stage, Fi Jae Lee’s achievement signals a broader shift toward the internationalization of Korean contemporary art, paving the way for greater visibility and opportunities for artists from Korea.

Lee’s career has been marked by significant solo exhibitions, including 《A Festival a Day Before I Was Born》 (2022, Corner Gallery, Seoul), 《Phanerozoic Eon, Cenozoic Era, Leeficene》 (2019, Avenuel Arthall Gallery, Seoul), and 《The Return of the Airship Fi-5》 (2016, Daejeon Museum of Art). She has also been actively involved in international artist residency programs, participating in the Swatch Art Peace Hotel Residency (2024, Shanghai), BilbaoArte Residency (2017, Spain), Seoul Museum of Art Nanji Residency (2014, Seoul), and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) Goyang Residency (2011, Gyeonggi, South Korea).

Her artistic achievements have been recognized through numerous grants and awards, including the Korea Arts Council (ARKO) Grant for Artist Management (2023), which supported her participation in the group exhibition 《DIALOGUE: Mind Map》 at Plantlance Seongsu, Seoul. She has previously received funding from the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture (2018) and the ARKO Young Art Frontier Grant (2009). Her works are now part of the permanent collections of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) and the Seoul Museum of Art, solidifying her position in the Korean contemporary art scene.