ARTIST STATEMENT
My work lives at the crossroads of memory and blueprint. Born in Malaysia and shaped by the architectural discipline in the United States, I navigate the spaces between cultural heritage and the constructed American landscape. I am fascinated by the silent dialogue between the organic self and the geometric environments we inhabit.
Each piece is a cartography of belonging, layering the textures of my Malaysian identity with the hard lines of my Brooklyn surroundings. I use material and form not just as elements of design, but as a language to question how these structures—both social and architectural—shape who we are.
My practice is an ongoing inquiry, a belief that by re-imagining the walls around us, we can begin to understand the ones within. I offer these works not as answers, but as portals to a more curious and contemplative view of the world we build together.
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ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Chandle Lee’s artistic practice is a synthesis of a life lived between languages and landscapes. Born in Malaysia and fluent in the nuanced tongues of his homeland—from Malay, English to 3 Chinese dialects—he now translates the silent language of the built environment through paint. His journey to art was paved by a long career in architecture, which included earning a Master’s from the University of Michigan and teaching the craft of rendering at institutions like the Academy of Art University.
It was upon moving to New York City in 2005 that these disciplines converged into a singular passion. The city’s vibrant energy ignited a transition from architectural rendering to fine art painting, a skillset he honed at the historic Art Students League. Today, Lee’s work carries the precision of an architect and the soul of a storyteller, making him a dynamic voice within the New York art scene, ever-inquiring into how our spaces shape our lives.