Maelee Lee

Maelee Lee (b. 1963) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, video, installation, and sculpture. With a background in fine art research, she holds both a master’s and doctoral degree from Chosun University College of Art. Her academic foundation informs a body of work that is materially rich and conceptually grounded.

Maelee’s work brings together elements of materiality, textual narration, and archaeological reference. Drawing from literature, philosophy, and art history, she constructs layered spaces that reflect on memory, loss, and the passage of time. Her surfaces are built through slow, deliberate processes—often incorporating gold powder, paper, and found materials—offering quiet yet resonant encounters with themes of origin and disappearance.

Across her practice, Maelee engages with visual art, poetry, and feminist critique, creating works that unfold gradually and invite sustained contemplation. She has exhibited internationally, including in major exhibitions such as Maelee Lee: Seven Thousand Stars, Promised Land at the History Museum Of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2025), Gwangju Biennale (Gwangju, Korea, 2010, 2011, 2022), Venice Biennale  (Venice, Italy, 2015) and Kobe Biennale (Kobe, Japan, 2015).

Her pieces are held in collections, including the Korea National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Gwangju Museum of Art, Gwangju Cultural Foundation, Rush Philanthropic Art Foundation in New York, Rush National Contemporary Museum in Sofia, and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete, among others.

In addition to her practice, Maelee is a visiting professor at Chosun University, where she shares her expertise and passion for art with future generations of artists.