Family Tryptic Tee, Black

100% cotton. Printed in Los Angeles. Born during the Japanese occupation of Korea, the life of artist Lee Jung Seob (이중섭) is colored by ingenuity and hope in the face of isolation and tragedy. In many ways, his personal life story mirrors the turbulent history of the country he called home. In the aftermath of the Korean War, Lee fled his hometown of Busan and arranged for his family’s refuge in Japan while he escaped to Jeju Island seeking work as an art teacher to financially support his wife and two sons. This arrangement was meant to be temporary, but he would only see his family again many years later during a short, 5-day trip he made to Tokyo. The subject of Lee’s work as a painter and illustrator often focused on his family and the severe depression he endured from their separation. In 1954, he produced his most famous painting, ‘White Ox’, a part of a recurring series that explored Fauvistic techniques. Lee was also known to love Western films and is often credited for introd