BIOGRAPHY

 Hui Chi Lee

Hui Chi Lee’s recent artistic work, which has gone through two distinct phases, has focused on exploring tensions and dynamics in human relations – both between individuals and between individuals and society. In the first series, titled “Moving Corpses and Walking Flesh,” she used the form and symbolism of mannequins to reveal what she sees as an overemphasis on materialistic pursuits by many of her fellow Taiwanese. Regardless of differences between nations and social structures, the disproportionate emphasis on consumerism and a lack of consideration given to spiritual dimensions have placed a heavy burden on contemporary life. Humans seem trapped in a never-ending spiral of materialistic desires and endless wants, and our craving to consume now turns on the subject to consume the spirit. Her mother was a fashion designer and growing up in such an environment in a rapidly changing Taiwan made her sensitive to the mute qualities of mannequins. In the first series and continuing into the second series of drawings, she continues to use the inanimate and plastic quality of mannequins as a symbolic vehicle to raise issues about the conformity of consumer behaviors and the immobility these behaviors imposes on contemporary society.

The second series is titled “Lián; Liàn,” which are two Chinese homophones meaning “to connect ” and “to enchain.” This series of large-scale drawings explores the tensions and dynamics between how people are connected and how these connections themselves may also serve to enchain. In part, this series is a reflection on Taiwanese cultural traditions that can seem oppressive in contemporary society. She uses the human figure as an agent to prompt discourse on these conditions. She expresses interest in the obscure and anonymous quality of the human form, and she wants to guide the viewer to consider the subject matter in a critical, holistic manner. She uses color in the subject matter in a symbolic, metaphorical way. Red symbolizes both a warning and an awakening moment in life, and hair signifies the duration of a life span and time of which we are often hardly aware – an acknowledgement of the finitude of life but yet a vision of it as somehow endless.

Grant Awards

2013 Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship Award in Drawing, The Kentucky Arts Council

2010 Eco Art Project, LexArts, Lexington, KY

2009 General Education in Art and Creativity, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Solo Exhibitions

2016 Solo Show: Lian, Lian, FitzGerald Fine Arts, New York, NY

2014 Solo Show: Domestic Matters, Center Public Library, Lexington, KY

2006 Solo Show: Moving Corpses and Walking Fleshes, Florida School of the Arts, Palatka, FL

Group Exhibitions

2015 SCOPE Miami Art Miami, Miami Beach, Florida

2015 The 20, Invitation Exhibition, Lexington Art League, Loudon House Gallery, Lexington, KY

2013 University of Kentucky Art Faculty Exhibition, Tuska Center for Contemporary Art, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

2013 Aegis 3rd Biennial Symposium on Art History and Visual Culture “Taking the S’ out of Craft” Exhibition, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville, KY

2013 Women of All Colors Art Show, The Chicago Urban Art Retreat Center, Chicago, IL

2013 Asia Institute Crane House, Louisville, KY

2012 University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, KY

2012 Dogwood Arts regional Fine Arts Exhibit, Knoxville, TN

2012 From Our Perspective National Women’s Exhibition, Oakland Community College, Farmington, MI

2012 Body, Figure, and Nude, Lexington Art League, Loudon House Gallery

2011 State of Drawing, Anne Wright Wilson Fine Art Gallery, Georgetown College, KY

2011 From Our Perspective National Women’s Exhibition Oakland Community College, Farmington, MI

2011 Love and Things Like Love, Lexington Art League, Loudon House Gallery, Lexington, KY

2011 Kaohsiung Award Exhibition Kaohsiung City Fine Art Museum, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

2011 University of Kentucky Art Faculty Exhibition Tuska Center for Contemporary Art, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

2011 Nude 2011 Lexington Art League, Loudon House Gallery, Lexington, KY 3

2010 The Bluegrass Biennial Claypool-Young Art Gallery, Morehead State University, KY

2010 Invitation exhibition - Structures and Subversions Slocumb Galleries, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN

2010 Palm Beach State College 6th annual drawing, painting, and printmaking competition Jan & Gary Dario Gallery, Palm Beach State College, Lake Worth, FL

2009 University of Kentucky Art Faculty Exhibition Tuska Center for Contemporary Art, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

2009 24th Tallahassee International Competition Museum of Fine Arts, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

2009 Arts in the Airport Knoxville Airport, Tennessee

2009 Paint present Lexington Art League, Loudoun House Gallery, Lexington, KY

2009 Invitation exhibition and juror of the annual student show Clara M. Eagle Main Gallery, Murray State University, KY

2009 24th Annual International Exhibition Meadows Gallery, University of Texas at Tyler, TX

2009 Nude 2009 Lexington Art League, Loudoun House Gallery, Lexington, KY

2008 University of Kentucky Art Faculty Exhibition Tuska Center for Contemporary Art, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 2008 Caught in the Act Juried Show Northbrook public library, Northbrook, IL

2008 23rd Tallahassee International Competition Museum of Fine Arts, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

2008 Northern National Juried Art Competition Nicolet College Art Gallery, Rhinelander, WI

2007 University of Kentucky Art Faculty Exhibition University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, KY

2007 Juror’s Choice: The Select Thomas Center Galleries, Gainesville, Florida 2007 22nd Combined Talents Competition Museum of Fine Arts, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

2007 49th International Award Exhibition San Diego Art Institute Museum of Living Artist, CA

2007 Arizona Aqueous XXII, 22nd Annual National Juried Water Media Exhibition Tubac Center of the Arts, Tubac, AZ

2007 QX.net Nude International Lexington Art League, Loudoun House Gallery, Lexington, KY

2006 Biennial Juried Exhibition The Peninsula Fine Arts Center, VA

2006 6th Annual Regional Juried Exhibition Thomas Center Gallery, Gainesville, FL 2006 MFA exhibition – Moving Corpse & Walking Flesh University Gallery, University of Florida, FL

2006 University of Florida Juried Exhibition University Gallery, University of Florida, FL

2005 “Two Ambiguities” Focus Gallery, University of Florida, FL 2005 “Thirteen, too” WARPHause Gallery, Gainesville, FL

2005 Second year M.F.A. student show WARPHause Gallery, Gainesville, FL

2005 CAA Regional MFA Exhibition Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA 2004 “Thirteen” Flager College, Jacksonville, FL

2004 University of Florida Juried Exhibition University Gallery, University of Florida, FL

2004 “Thirteen” WARPHause Gallery, Gainesville, FL 2004 First year M.F.A. student show WARPHause Gallery, Gainesville, FL 2001 Mclean County Art Center Juried Exhibition Mclean County Art Center, Bloomington, IL

1995 Student Show, University Gallery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 1993 Juried Exhibition, Student Gallery, Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ

1991 Juried Exhibition, Student Gallery, Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ

Education

Master of Fine Arts, Drawing and Painting | University of Florida, 2006

Master of Science, Art Therapy | Illinois State University, 2003

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Drawing and Painting | University of Arizona, 1995

Honors

2011 The Best of Show | From Our Perspective National Women’s Exhibition, Oakland Community College, Farmington, MI2010 Merit Award | 6th Annual Competition, Palm Beach State College, Lake Worth, FL

2009 Merit Award | Arts in the Airport, Knoxville Airport, Tennessee

2009 Merit Award | Nude 2009, Lexington Art League, Lexington, KY

2007 Second Award | 22nd Combined Talents, Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, FL

2007 Award of Excellence | Arizona Aqueous XXII, Tubca Arts Center, AZ

2006 Award of Excellence | Biennial Juried Exhibition, Peninsula Fine Arts Center, VA

2006 The Best of Show | 6th Annual Juried Exhibition, Thomas Center, Gainesville, FL

2006 Art Faculty Award | University of Florida

2003 Teaching Assistantships, 3 years | University of Florida

2000 Graduate Assistantships, 3 years |Illinois State University

2000 Elizabeth Stein Scholarship | Illinois State University

1994 Tuition Scholarship | University of Arizona

1994 Dean’s List with Distinction | University of Arizona

1993 Honorable Mention | University of Arizona

1992 Merit Award | Pima Community College

Professional Experience

2015 Assistant Professor, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC

2006 Lecturer, 9 years, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

2004 Instructor of Record, 2 years, University of Florida, Art 2305C Drawing: Form & Space

2004 Instructor of Record, 1 year, University of Florida, Art 2330C Figure Drawing

2003 Graduate Assistant, University of Florida, Art 1802C Workshop for Art Research and Practice

2000 Graduate Assistant, 3 years, Illinois State University, Normal, IL

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