Lee Ufan Museum

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About Lee Ufan Museum

The Lee Ufan Museum sits in a small valley between hills and the sea in southern Naoshima, between Benesse House and Chichu. Designed by Tadao Ando, it is dedicated to the Korean artist Lee Ufan, who lives and works in Japan and was one of the figures of the Mono-ha movement, which worked with materials such as stone, iron and wood in their natural states.

The entrance is through a large open courtyard, with a tall concrete column and a stone-and-iron work on the ground. From there, a narrow corridor between concrete walls leads to rooms partly buried in the hillside. Each room contains few works: natural stones placed before iron plates, single-brush paintings on white backgrounds, a space of shadow and silence where you sit.

The museum asks for a slow visit. There are no long wall explanations, and the idea is to perceive the relationship between the objects, the space and the viewer. Light enters through openings and changes with the day.

Outside, the valley has lawn and a view of the sea. The museum is a few minutes on foot from Benesse House and one bus stop from Chichu, and is often visited between the two. The building opened in 2010, and the works occupy the space permanently, conceived by the artist together with the architect.