Painting has always been an intuitive process for Rhys Lee.

Through a vibrant palette, her playful marks draw on her personal memories in a moment of cathartic release.

Reminiscent of Pablo Picasso and George Condo, Lee’s fractured portraits and still life compositions are grounded in a cubist aesthetic. By merging these traditional artistic tendencies with the graffiti influences of his youth, Lee powerfully develops a unique, experimental and raw practice. The artist blurs the lines between representation and abstraction, focusing on color and form. As his subjects dissolve, the textures and layers of paint are revealed in all their glory.

Lee has exhibited widely nationally and internationally, with solo exhibitions in Australia, Germany, Paris and New Zealand. He was a finalist for the 2012 Archibald Prize and his work is held in numerous public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, Artbank and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.