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About the artwork

More expansive in its reach, this piece opens outward with a confident, almost celebratory energy. The branching feels less restrained, allowing for a broader spatial presence. It occupies its environment more fully, creating a dialogue with the surrounding space. The copper surface enhances its visibility, catching light across multiple planes. There is a sense of vitality here - an expression of growth that feels uninhibited. It stands as a powerful interpretation of nature’s persistence, reimagined through a contemporary lens that embraces scale and presence.

About the artist

For decades, Lee Gil Rae has used nature as his muse and crafted sculptures from steel and copper pipes. In his persistent need to create organic forms Lee Gil-Rae takes it one step further in creating man-made nature. His works consist of surreal, leafless forests that one can meander into, with spiralling branches that are unnatural in structure but organic in aesthetic. These draw the viewer in to witness the intricate exteriors that mimic the curves and notches of aged tree bark. His sprawling branches fan out and are tipped with wisps of copper representing the needles of the pine trees, in true homage to Mother Nature. With rapid deforestation, Lee Gil-Rae's trees narrate the artificial nature that city dwellers so closely identify with. The man-made and constructed simulation of nature is apparent in all towns and cities. Nature is removed and confined to make room for the ever-expanding population.