The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has awarded artist Lee U-fan the Geumgwan Order of Culture Merit for his contributions to contemporary art.

Lee is known for his minimalist paintings and sculptures and has contributed to the development of Korean monochrome painting, which has gained worldwide recognition. He is one of the founders and leaders of the avant garde Mono-ha group, which rejects Western notions of representation in art and instead relies on the Eastern method of focusing on the relationship between materials and perception.

Lee’s works are regularly sold for six-figure sums at international auctions.

The Geumgwan Order of Culture Merit is the first and highest National Order of Merit in the culture field.

The awards ceremony will take place at Culture Station Seoul 284 in Seoul Station on Saturday.

By Cha Yo-rim (yorimcha@heraldcorp.com)