Artist Statement
Lee lives and works in the suburbs of Canberra, Australia. She holds a degree in Anthropology from the ANU and recently completed a Master of Philosophy (Visual Arts) at the ANU School of Art.
Since 2005, Lee has exhibited at the Australian Centre for Photography (Sydney), the Monash Gallery of Art (Melbourne) and the National Portrait Gallery (Canberra) amongst others. She has been a finalist in the National Photographic Portrait Prize, the Head On Alternative Portrait Prize, the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Prize, the Olive Cotton Award, Critical Mass 09 as well as Sony/ACMP’s Projections (which she won). Lee was also the winner of the prestigious Bowness Photography Prize in 2010. A selection of her work was recently published in the Big City Press monograph Hijacked Volume 2: Australia and Germany and has featured in numerous online zines and blogs. Lee’s work is held in the National Library, Canberra Museum and Art gallery as well as numerous private collections and she has received grants from ArtsACT, the Australia Council and CAPO/Singapore Airlines.
Lee is the founder and co-curator of Light Journeys a website dedicated to promoting and supporting Australian women working in photography: www.lightjourneys.net.au, as well as Timemachine Magazine which features Australian photography alongside international work: www.timemachinemag.com
Process Statement
As a photographer, I am interested in the way migrant communities adapt to new environments, particularly in western cultures and much of my work explores themes of identity, belonging and community set mostly in the context of the Australian suburbs. I strongly believe that photography can be used as a social tool to inform, educate and inspire audiences about the lives of others.