Transcendent Beauty : The Art of Pil Ho Lee

With artfully free brushstrokes and wide swatches of oil paint, Pil Ho Lee conjures colorful worlds on canvas, turning familiar everyday scenes into something rare and magical. The artist, a resident of Orange, can often be seen with his easel and paints around the Plaza or on other local sidewalks, capturing the hues and light of certain times of day, with the sun slanting just right, the shadows falling perfectly between leaves, or the headlights of passing cars reflecting in dazzling dashes on wet pavement.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Lee emigrated to the United States in 1977 at age 9 with his family. His parents, both schoolteachers, brought the family to the U.S. to make a better life, and to give their two sons more opportunities. “Korea in the 1970s was still mired in a poor economy as the country came out of its post-Korean-War period,” Lee says. “It was difficult back then to make a good living there.”

The family settled in Los Angeles, and the brothers enrolled in school and took ESL classes, “although we learned most of our English just by watching TV,” Lee recalls. His artistic talents helped win him new buddies, even with the language barrier.

“Star Wars was the big thing then, so I would sit and draw those characters, and all the kids would crowd around and watch me,” says Lee. “That’s how I made friends at first, because they loved my drawings.”

The talented youngster didn’t ponder much upon the difficulties of adjusting to a new life in a new country. “When you’re young, things are just exciting. I don’t remember ever being traumatized by the changes. We just loved it all, my brother and me. I’m sure it was much harder for my parents. Looking back now that I’m in my fifties, I realize what a big, bold, courageous move that must have been for them.”

Like many immigrant parents who want their children to have stellar futures, Lee’s parents tried to discourage him from pursuing art as a career path. They encouraged him and his brother to concentrate on academic work and excel in school.

“Vocations like engineering and other white-collar careers were always discussed,” Lee says. “They did want us to play sports and do art, but it was clearly communicated not to invest too much time in those things.”

While Lee never entertained the idea of art as a profession while he was growing up, he ultimately couldn’t deny his passion. “Even though I forced myself to go the route my parents wanted me to go, after a couple of years in college, I realized that was not for me,” he says.

Still, to enter an art field in which there was a possibility of a good living, he opted for graphic design. He earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Art in the field at California State University, Long Beach. “Like fine art, graphic design is a creative field—but unlike fine art, there are a lot of job opportunities,” he says. He would work in graphic arts for about 20 years—in branding, corporate identity and packaging at design firms, and later as art director at an advertising agency, working for major clients like Honda and Yamaha.

But despite his success in the field, Lee always considered himself “a fish out of water” in the corporate world. “Even though I was good at graphic design and I enjoyed it, I always felt that fine art was really something that I loved more and was more naturally me,” he says.

His breakthrough came when he met Gary Bradley, an artist from North Carolina. “I was invited to a dinner up in L.A. where Gary was speaking about the role of an artist. He stayed in touch with me after that, and I showed him some of the drawings and sketches I’d been doing ‘on the side,’” says Lee.

“Gary told me that I should put a LOT more time into my own art. It was as if he gave me permission to do something I’ve always wanted to do. And I think that was the beginning of my fine art career. Gary’s encouragement, along with his thoughts on the artist’s role in the exaltation of transcendent truth and beauty, have helped me define myself as an artist. I was still working at the agency, but each day I’d put in about 40 minutes of painting on my own.”

It wasn’t a deliberate decision, though, for Lee to leave his agency. “It just happened. The agency disbanded and then re-formed, and they asked me to stay on as a freelancer. Then they wanted me to come back onboard as staff, but by that time I was seriously trying to establish myself as a fine artist. I was entering art shows and seeing the first sales of my work.”

Newport Beach resident Karen Linkletter, who owns several of Lee’s paintings, first saw his works at the Laguna Festival of the Arts in 2017 and 2018. “I saw his beautiful paintings of rainy street scenes in Los Angeles,” she says. “He captured a wet winter season in the city with incredible depth of light, shadow and movement. His painting uses layers and interesting techniques to convey animation and textures. I’m so impressed with his skill and artistic eye.”

Lee cites Swedish painter

Anders Zorn (1860-1920) and Spanish master Joaquin Sorolla (1863-1923) as his top influences, along with contemporary Vietnamese-American artist Quang Ho (b. 1963). But above all, he credits his wife, Dao, with supporting his dream and new career. “Without her I wouldn’t have been able to take this leap and pursue fine art full-time,” he says. The couple, who have lived in Orange since 2008, have a 12year-old daughter.

Lee can frequently be seen around the Plaza in Orange painting en plein air, or in the open air, outdoors. The Plaza, as seen in the painting, “At the Circle,” on this issue’s inside front cover, as well as Orange’s sidewalk cafes, restaurants, alleys and streets, are frequent subjects of his work.

“I love plein air painting. It’s more of a recent discovery for me. I found that plein air is almost addictive, and it really has helped my style. I’m forced to focus on essentials and capture something the way I really want it to look.”

To see more of Lee’s art, visit www.PilHoLe e.com or follow his Instagram @PilHoLeeAr t. His paintings are carried by Pacific Edge Gallery in Laguna Beach (www.PacificEdgeGallery.com). •

Matt Parlow

CONT. FROM PAGE 24

“Despite difficult beginnings, my parents both obtained educations and taught for the Los Angeles School District for 40 years,” he says. “They are a testament to the transformational impact an education can have on socioeconomic status. I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I’ve had without my parents becoming educated. At Chapman, we have the ability to make an impact by attracting the best and brightest students and providing the economic assistance they need to become educated, so they can go out and experience their own bright futures. My role in that transformation is humbling and holds great meaning for me.” •