BIO
Eric Jiaju Lee does a little bit of everything. He's an abstract painter, musician, sculptor, photographer, performance artist, and rock climber. It is no surprise, then, that his nature-inspired paintings are informed by movement. The fluid calligraphic gestures of Chinese ink and brush and tai chi can be seen in his abstract works as he pours, puddles, and tips his way towards representing the feeling of nature.
Eric Jiaju Lee graduated from the prestigious Master of Fine Arts program at Hunter College. He exhibits regularly in the US and abroad, with works belonging to numerous private and corporate international collections (USA, UK, Canada, China, Germany, Philippines, Australia). His work belongs to several corporate collections such as The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Dixon Advisory, one of Australia’s leading financial institutions.
The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Lee is frequently covered in the press such as an extensive article in the Huffington Post, an exposé in CTPost, as well as publications such as Twist Magazine, 944 Magazine, TimeOut NY, GQ Magazine (Taiwan), Sinovision TV. Lee is a professor of fine arts, an independent curator and a guest lecturer at museums and institutions in the greater New York area lecturing on topics such as The Italian Renaissance, The International Art Market, Abstract Painting, Chinese Contemporary Art, Eastern Philosophy, and Surrealist Art.
From 2004 to 2008 he worked in Beijing, China in the renowned 798 Art District, where he maintained a part-time studio practice. Lee also maintained a full-time studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn from 2007 to 2016, where he took part in the growth of the area since it's early beginnings as a vibrant arts community and hub of contemporary NYC arts. He recently relocated his base of operations to Greenwich, Connecticut, where he now resides.
While Lee is best known for his work as an abstract painter, he is an accomplished musician and is also practicing in various other visual media ranging from figurative drawings to sculpture, fashion/art photography and art video. With his broad skillset and interests, Lee has a passion for collaboration across the disciplines and has played a role with notable dance, theater, and dance/theater productions in costume design, live painting, music, sound design, set design and video. To name just a few: the groundbreaking dance company, The Foundry, the innovative and Bessie award-winning performance company Red Dive, the internationally acclaimed ThingsezIsee’m Dance/Theater, and the production of Dictee: bells fall a peal to sky with dance/theater phenom, Soomi Kim.
Not to be overlooked, Lee is an avid outdoorsman and rock climber and finds much of his inspiration through his direct interaction with nature and the wilderness.
