Natural Balance The Sculptural Art of Kun Foon Lee

Natural Balance
is a photographic compilation of the
artistic works of Canadian sculptor
Kun Foon Lee. His meticulously
crafted sculptures are composed of
various native woods and found
natural objects such as pine cones,
driftwood and dried wild flowers.
This compilation is a sampling of 35
years of experimentations,
imagination, and creativity in the
form of hand crafted woodwork. The
genesis of these ideas originates, in
large part, from the natural creatures
of the Great White North.
We hope you will enjoy this
fascinating collection and find it as
inspiring as we did.

Kun Foon Lee was born in 1932 in Hong Kong, China, as the second son in a family of six children.
He took great personal risk to immigrate with his family across the world to Vancouver, British
Columbia, in 1974 to start a new life and provide better education and opportunities for his four
children. There, he made his career as a licensed boiler engineer and worked for the Vancouver
School Board till he retired.
The vastly different cultural climate in Canada, as well as the natural beauty of its mountainous
formations and diverse fauna inspired Lee to capture that same undisturbed harmony in art. At
the age of 55, he started carving his pieces in wood: yellow cedar for most and hardwood for
delicate, finer details (such as the fins of a swimming fish). Lee also incorporates the materials
found on his leisurely walks into his art, such as pine-cones, driftwood, or wildflowers. These pieces
then are shaped, in a process that can take anywhere from eight to forty hours, to represent the
scenes he sees around him through the elements he is surrounded by. These sculptures often
feature the surrounding Canadian wildlife; capturing them in wood became a relaxing pastime for
Lee. Over the past 35 years, he has created over a thousand sculptures.
This book showcases a collection of his most unique pieces. Through the simplistic yet elegant
designs of his sculptures, Lee hopes to inspire others to see the world through creative lenses
and create art themselves.