Lee Kit


Lee Kit is a contemporary artist who currently lives and works in Hong Kong and Taipei. Lee's practice spans a broad range of media including painting, drawing, video, and installation. Best known for his works with hand-painted cloth, Lee’s works often focus on quotidian and ready-made objects that address ordinary daily rituals. He won the Art Futures Award in the Hong Kong Art Fair in 2012.
Lee was selected as the representative artist for Hong Kong's participation at the Venice Biennale, the 55th International Art Exhibition, in 2013.

Life and work

Lee Kit was born in Hong Kong and graduated with a BA in Fine Arts at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2003. He then went on to study the MFA programme at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2006–2008.
During his studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Lee has already participated in a solo exhibition 'Painting Furniture' in Fo Tan. Despite working in many media – painting, video, sculpture, installations and performance-like social situations – his works are highly recognisable, often using a subtle pastel colour palette and reflecting on aspects of daily life.
He is best known of his hand-painted cloth with works such as Sunday afternoon: Picnic with friends and hand-painted cloth at Yung Shu O, Sai Kung, Hand-painted cloth used to cleaning window and My pillow seems like a bed, a pillow seems like my bed. His latest series feature cardboard paintings and ready-made objects such as the karaoke lounge of Someone Singing and Calling Your Name, Henry and 'Every breath you take.' . Other objects from his studio also figure into his installations. A desk, which he had scratched a hole into, appeared in his installation Scratching the table surface, which was part of "The Ungovernables". Lee has an obsession with skin care products and logos; and these brands were featured in many of his cardboard paintings such as his favourite Nivea hand cream in Someone Singing and Calling Your Name, Johnson’s and Pears.
In 2007–2008, Lee was invited to the Bolton Street Cottage Artist-in-residence programme in Wellington, New Zealand.
In 2011, Lee's work was premiered in New York at Lombard Freid Gallery, with his solo exhibition 1, 2, 3, 4....
In 2012, Lee was awarded "ART FUTURES Prize" for his project Something in My Hands in Hong Kong Art Fair 2012.
Lee's recent solo exhibitions include: 'How are things on the West Coast?, Lombard Freid Gallery, NY; Something in my hands presented by Aike-Dellarco Gallery at ART HK 12 where he won the ART FUTURES prize ; Every breath you take. in Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai ;
House M in The Pavilion, Beijing ; 'How to set up a room for Johnny?' presented by Osage Gallery as the first Hong Kong artist in Art Statements at Art Basel ; and Henry at Western Front, Vancouver.
Lee has participated in group exhibitions across the world including in leading museums, such as "The Ungovernables" in The New Museum, New York ; "No Soul For Sale" in Tate Modern ; "Print/Out" in The Museum of Modern Art, New York and "What should I do to live in your life?" in Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE.
Lee has been selected as the representative artist for Hong Kong's participation at the 55th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale 2013.

Awards and recognition

Lee is a graduate of the Fine Art department, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Among the honours which Lee have earned are:
Lee's works have been featured in solo exhibitions at museums and galleries including:
2014
2013

2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2001
Lee has also participated in numerous international group exhibitions including:
2014
2012
2011
2010

2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

2003
2001
2000
Lee's work is in the collections of Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst in Belgium, The Hong Kong Museum of Art and among many other private collections in different parts of the world.