The Point of It

Biography:

From an early age Lee was able to wield the tools of metal fabrication. Growing up in the family sheet metal factory in Western Australia, he spent many weekends creating sculptures from the contents of the scrap metal bins. These early works often had functional destinies and included works that ultimately served as coffee tables, letter boxes, coat stands and the like.

Ultimately his mechanical design abilities led him to a career in Industrial Design where his artistic and creative side sought expression in the development of many outstanding products - some being recipients of the coveted “Australian Design Award”. During this period he moved to Sydney, launched and managed his own design company for 18 years, was an active member of the Design Institute of Australia (DIA), served as a Councillor with the Australian Academy of Design (AAD) and was a consultant panellist for the Australian Design Awards (ADA). In addition to new product design, Lee involved his design company in a number of artistic ventures including interactive elements for a theme park in Indonesia, creation and design of a central fountain for a new shopping centre and in collaboration with others was a finalist in the competition for Sydney’s Olympic Torch. Throughout his career as a product designer Lee continued his sculptural pursuits but rarely exhibited, preferring to give his works away to family and friends.

In 2004, Lee accepted a position with an emerging technology company and he and his family moved to Chicago, a city renowned for its public art and blues music. Through his friendship with Stephen Mueller, an established painter and sculptor, Lee was reunited with the world of contemporary art and in particular metal sculpture on a grand scale. He found an outlet for his reignited passion through the Evanston Art Center’s metal sculpture school and practiced under Matt Runfola whilst there. In late 2007 Lee and his family moved back to Sydney and shortly after he set up a workshop studio to continue sculpting.

Artist’s Statement:

Metal prevails as my choice of medium, combining simple elemental pieces together to create a living whole. More recently I have focused on works combining identical or closely related pieces with simple but pure forms. This repeat motif transforms the detail of individual pieces into a total experience of energy, movement and emotion.

I aspire to create and build monumental works in the public arena. To this end I create maquette studies along with my pieces of more modest scale. I am a member of The Sculptors Society and exhibit regularly.