For Rhys Lee, painting has always been an intuitive process. Through a vibrant palette, Lee’s playful mark making draws from personal memories in a moment of cathartic release. Reminiscent of Pablo Picasso and George Condo, Lee’s fractured portraits and still life compositions rely on a cubist aesthetic. By fusing these traditional art tendencies with the graffiti influences from his youth, Lee powerfully develops a unique, experimental and raw practice.

The artist blurs the boundaries between representation and abstraction, shifting his focus to colour and form. As his subjects dissolve, the textures and layers of paint reveal themselves in all their glory.

Lee has been exhibited widely both nationally and internationally, with solo exhibitions in Australia, Germany, Paris and New Zealand. Lee’s works have found their home in many public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, Artbank and the National Library of France.