Artist Statement

As a multidisciplinary artist working across photography, sculpture, video, sound, and mixed media, my practice explores the complex, often delicate relationships between nature, technology, and culture. Drawing on both Eastern philosophy—particularly Taoist concepts of interconnectedness—and contemporary critical theory, my work reflects on the tensions between globalisation, ecological resilience, and the fragility of cultural identity.

Central to my artistic process is the idea that art can act as both research and reflection. I often collaborate with scientists, ecologists, and other experts to delve deeper into the unseen forces shaping our world, from natural phenomena to cultural displacement. This interdisciplinary approach allows me to merge scientific inquiry with artistic expression, creating works inviting viewers to engage with the seen and unseen.

My work frequently examines the interplay between the organic and the artificial, the traditional and the contemporary. Projects like Silent Chorus and Serenade of the Woods investigate how natural systems, such as tropical rainforests or urban plants, reveal their hidden rhythms through sound and light. These works highlight the beauty and precarity of ecosystems under pressure, underscoring the resilience and vulnerability of both human and nonhuman life.

In other pieces, such as World Atlas and Extra Ordinary, I explore how globalisation has reshaped ecological and cultural landscapes. By using botanical imagery, maps, and found objects, I recontextualise these elements to tell new stories of migration, adaptation, and survival. These works are also meditations on history, using fragments of the past to reflect on the present and the future.

I see my art as an invitation for viewers to question the narratives of control, progress, and stability that dominate our contemporary world. Through my exploration of time, space, and the human impact on nature, I aim to create spaces of reflection where the boundaries between nature, culture, and technology are blurred and new possibilities for understanding can emerge.

Biography

Lisa Chang Lee is a multimedia artist based in London and Beijing. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing (2010) and a Master’s degree in Print from the Royal College of Art in London (2014).

Currently, she is an associate lecturer at the Royal College of Art and a visiting lecturer for an MA in art and science at Central Saint Martins, UAL.

In recent years, Lee has exhibited her work internationally, including at M100 Contemporary Art Centre (2018, Chile); Seoul Biennale (2019, Korea); York Art Gallery (2018, UK); Shenzhen/HK Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture (2017, China), among others. She has also presented several solo exhibitions and experimental projects at Ginkgo Space (Beijing), San Mei Gallery (London), and Enclave (London). Recent prizes and awards she has received include the nomination for Art Power 100 China (2019, China); Contemporary Art Trust Prize (2019, UK); Runner-up Prize (special mention) for Collective City, Seoul Biennale (2019, Korea); the nomination for Awards of Art China (2018, China); Vivien Leigh Prize from the Ashmolean Museum (2018, UK); and Aesthetica Art Prize shortlist (2018, UK). Her work is included in the permanent collections of institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum (UK), The Royal Collection (UK), the British Museum (UK), the Ashmolean Museum (UK), and the Metropolitan Museum Library (US).