(b. 1983, US), Lives and works in New York, US.
In his practice, Austin Lee combines analogue and digital processes to create a distinct, cartoon-like imagery reminiscent of early Internet. The artist’s paintings and sculptures – which depict humans, animals, plants and hybrid creatures in a palette of recurring bright colours – navigate the digital realm of art-making and art-consumption while referencing the canons of classical painting. By translating digital sketches into works on canvas and sculptures through the use of airbrush, paintbrush and 3D printing, Lee creates works that land at the intersection of abstraction and figuration, evoking both online and offline spaces. Stripped of sharp edges, the artist’s universe of saturated yet soft and gentle visual vocabulary is ultimately dedicated to the intricacies of human emotion in the digital age.
Austin Lee has previously exhibited internationally in galleries and institutions including Pace Prints (New York), Wallach Art Gallery (New York); M WOODS (Beijing); Jeffrey Deitch (New York); Peres Projects (Berlin); Spazio Maiocchi (Milan); Mine Project (Hong Kong); Jeffrey Deitch (New York); Mosaic Art Foundation (Istanbul); Kaikai Kiki Gallery (Tokyo); BANK (Shanghai), among others.