— Rhys Lee (b. 1975, Brisbane, Australia) lives and works in Birregurra, Victoria. He received his BA in Visual Arts from Queensland College of Art, Brisbane in 1997. Selected solo exhibitions include: ‘Applism’, NBB Gallery, Berlin; ‘Recent Paintings’ at Nicholas Thompson Gallery, Melbourne; ‘Recent Works’ at Julien Cadet Gallery, Paris; ‘Selected Works’, curated by 333 Art Projects at Nicholas Thompson Gallery, Melbourne. Selected group exhibitions include: ‘After Hope’ at Dio Horia Gallery, Athens; ‘Stay Tuned’ at WOAW Gallery, Hong Kong; ‘Caterpillar’ at Galeri Slika, Lyon; ‘Zoo’ at Mima Museum, Brussels; ‘Monomania’ at George Gallery, New York. He has been featured in significant publications, including Juxtapoz, The Brooklyn Rail and The Design Files. Lee’s work has been part of numerous art collections, such as Art Bank; BHP Billiton; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; National Library of France, Paris; Sotheby’s; United Bank of Switzerland; University of Queensland Art Museum, St Lucia.
Rhys Lee’s unique, experimental and raw practice reveals a highly intuitive process. Shifting the boundaries between representation and abstraction, the artist puts on view an ethereal quality, crafting memories in a moment of cathartic release, expressed through a vibrant color palette, broad brushstrokes, sparse but pointed elements of detail, and textured visceral forms.