Paul Lee
Paul Lee (b. 1974, London) is a sculptor, collagist, and video artist who creates assemblages by manipulating found domestic and everyday objects, including dyed terry cloth towels, tambourines, and empty soda cans. Lee’s evolving visual language exploits universally understood relationships between use and form. By transforming familiar materials into colorful abstractions, Lee subverts their function and draws out their implicit connection to the human body. He considers these objects to be abstracted “portraits” of the person who used them: the synthesis of “an object-body and an image-mind.” Lee lives in New York.
Lee’s work has recently been show at, among others, Karma, New York (2024); Michael Lett, Auckland, New Zealand (2022); Adams and Ollman, Portland, Oregon (2021); David Shelton Gallery, Houston (2020); Karma, New York (2019); David Shelton Gallery, Houston (2018); Modern Art, London (2018); Michael Lett, New Zealand (2017); Jeffrey Stark, New York (2016); Maccarone, Los Angeles (2016); Untilthen, Paris (2015); and University of the Arts, Philadelphia (2015). Lee’s work is represented in the collections of the Dallas Museum of Art; Government Art Collection (GAC), United Kingdom; M+, Hong Kong; Morgan Library & Museum, New York; Portland Art Museum, Oregon; RISD Museum, Providence, Rhode Island; Rubell Family Collection, Miami; San Antonio Museum of Art, Texas; and the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, among others.
Lee’s exhibition New Sculptures is currently on view at Karma, New York through April 27th.
Born 1974, London
Lives and works in New York
EDUCATION
1997
BFA, Winchester School of Art, Winchester, United Kingdom
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London, United Kingdom
SELECTED SOLO AND TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2024
Karma, New York, New Sculptures
David Shelton Gallery, Houston, Greenland
2023
Tyler Wood Gallery, New York, Paul Lee and Olivier Mosset
2022
Michael Lett, Auckland, New Zealand, Desert Flowers
2021
Adams and Ollman, Portland, Oregon, Tambourine Heart
2020
David Shelton Gallery, Houston, Divided
2019
Karma, New York, I see with my body now
2018
David Shelton Gallery, Houston, In My Room
Stuart Shave Modern Art, London, On My Way To You Now
2017
Michael Lett, Auckland, Pestle
2016
Jeffrey Stark, New York, Centre
Maccarone, Los Angeles, Layers for a Brain Corner
2015
Untilthen Gallery, Paris, On The Beach In The Dark
Stuart Shave / Modern Art, London, Nocturnal, seeing in the dark, a path of light that does not cross others
Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery of the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Paul Lee
2014
Maccarone, New York, Matinee
39 Great Jones, New York, Paul Lee
2013
Maccarone, New York, Emerald
Michael Lett, Auckland, Active Light
2011
Modern Art, London, Moon River
2010
Modern Art, London, Paul Lee
Maccarone, New York, Lavender
2008
Peres Projects, Los Angeles, Arm’s Length
2007
Peres Projects, Berlin, Harbour
Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Paul Lee
2006
Massimo Audiello, New York, Reservoir
Schoolhouse Gallery, Provincetown, Massachusetts, Paul Lee
2005
Schoolhouse Gallery, Provincetown, Massachusetts, Olympus
2004
Schoolhouse Gallery, Provincetown, Massachusetts, New Work
2003
Schoolhouse Gallery, Provincetown, Massachusetts, The dead birds of W28th St
2002
Schoolhouse Gallery, Provincetown, Massachusetts, Books, Paintings, Drawings
Chelsea Hotel, New York, Paul Lee at the Chelsea Hotel curated by Billy Cotton and Joanna Raczkiewicz
2001
Schoolhouse Gallery, Provincetown, Massachusetts, Paul Lee
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022
Sarah Brook Gallery, Los Angeles, Body Root
JTT Gallery, New York, The Grid and the Curve
2021
JTT Gallery, New York, Just Above My Head
2020
Halsey McKay Gallery, East Hampton Woof of the Sun, Ethereal gaze
Kips Bay Decorator Show House, Dallas
2019
Ratio 3, San Francisco, Duck of Doorknob
OV Project, Brussels, Project 19: Cut – Copy – Paste – Part II
Michael Lett Gallery, Auckland, Modern Nature
Admans and Ollman, Portland, Think of Me
2018
Kerry Schuss, New York, Strange Attractors – The Anthology of Interplanetary Folk Art Vol. 2: The Rings of Saturn, organized by Bob Nickas
Modern Art, London, Summer Exhibition
OV Project, Brussels, Project 09: Etienne Courtois, Paul Lee & Richard Nonas
Adrian Rosenfeld Gallery, San Francisco, Peter, Paul and Mary
2017
Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, Marching to the Beat
Grand Marché Stalingrad, Paris, Le Coup de Soleil, untilthen
Hannah Hoffman Gallery, Los Angeles, TOUCHPIECE
2016
Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, Home Improvements
Modern Art, London, Theories of Modern Art
2015
Marlborough Broome Street, New York, Marlborough Lights
Karma at Gladstone Gallery, Brussels, Love for Three Oranges
Invisible Exports, New York, Teeth Gnash Tennessee
Zabludowicz Collection, London, Partial Presence
Morgan Library and Museum, New York, Embracing Modernism: Ten Years of Drawings Acquisitions
2014
Galerie Guy Bärtschi, Geneva, Collective III
2013
JTT, New York, Within and Throughout
Office Baroque Gallery, Antwerp, Notes on Neo-Camp, curated by Chris Sharp
Studio Voltaire, London, Notes on Neo-Camp, curated by Chris Sharp
Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, UIA (Unlikely Interactions of the Abstract), curated by Bill Arning,
Valerie Cassel Oliver, and Dean Daderko
Adams and Ollman, Portland, Oregon, Eugene Von Bruechenhein, Felipe Jesus Consalvos, Paul Lee
2011
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Absentee Landlord, curated by John Waters
Portikus, Frankfurt, Flaca, curated by Tom Humphreys
Alison Jacques Gallery, London, Robert Mapplethorpe: Night Work, curated by The Scissor Sisters
Maccarone Gallery, New York, The Medicine Bag
2010
Stuart Shave/Modern Art, London, Every Night I go to Sleep
Exile Exhibitions, Berlin, Summer Camp
2009
Peres Projects Los Angeles, Minneapolis
Saatchi Gallery, London, Abstract America: New Painting and Sculpture
Bortolami Gallery, New York, Parallel
Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri, Between Beach Ball and Rubber Raft
303 Gallery, New York, Mary’s Choice, curated by Mary Heilmann
2008
Miami, The Station curated by Shamim Momin and Nate Lowman
Goff + Rosenthal, Berlin, The Dulcet Clime of the Bedchamber, curated by Nicolas Weist
Saatchi Gallery, London, Shape of Things to Come
2007
Elizabeth Dee, New York, Jesuvian Process
Yvon Lambert Project Space, New York, Ready-Made
Derek Eller Gallery, New York, NeoIntegrity, curated by Keith Mayerson
Bortolami, New York, Substance & Surface
Alberta Merola Gallery, Provincetown, Eliminate, curated by John Waters
2006
Schoolhouse Gallery, Provincetown, Massachusetts, Big and Small
Gene Frankel Theatre, New York, Table, curated by Kathleen White and Rafael Sanchez
Ampersand International, San Francisco, Open Network, curated by Patricia Maloney
Paul Kasmin, New York, This is Not Called Gay Art Now, curated by Jack Pierson
Schoolhouse Gallery, Provincetown, Massachusetts, New Beginnings
Exit Art, New York, I Heart Exit Art
2005
High Desert Test Sites, 29 Palms, Christening a Cabin, curated by Chris Viet
Schoolhouse Gallery, Provincetown, Massachusetts, Drawing Show
Margaret Thatcher Gallery, New York, Certain People I Know
2004
Texas Gallery, Houston, All in the Family
Coleman Projects, London, Disco Hospital
2003
Team Gallery, New York, Hung, Drawn, and Quartered
Scope Art Fair, New York, John Waters Curatorial Choice
1997
K3 Gallery, Zürich, Dislocation
Against the Grain Gallery, Nanton, Alberta, Emerging Artists, curated by Jack Pierson
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Auckland Museum of Art, New Zealand
Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas
La Colección Jumex, Mexico City
Dallas Museum of Art
Government Art Collection (GAC), United Kingdom
M+, Hong Kong
Morgan Library & Museum, New York City
Outset Contemporary Art Fund, London
Portland Art Museum, Oregon
Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence
Rubell Family Collection, Miami
San Antonio Museum of Art, Texas
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
PUBLICATIONS
2018
Paul Lee
Karma, New York
440 Pages, Hardcover
9 × 7 1/4 inches
Paul Lee
Special Edition
Karma, New York
440 pages, Hardcover
9 × 7 ¼ inches
Edition of 100
2016
Carousel
Karma, New York
466 pages, Softcover
11 1/2 × 8 1/2 inches
Edition of 100
10 × 8 inches
Edition of 50
Carousel
Special Edition
Karma, New York
466 pages
11 1⁄2 × 8 inches
Special Edition of 26
Touch Paintings
New York
88 pages
10 × 8 inches
Edition of 50
2010
Stills
Karma, New York
98 pages, Hardcover
8 1/5 × 11 inches
