SOPHIA LEE

Sophia Lee (b 1969) Taipei, Taiwan.

Sophia studied Fashion at FIDM in Los Angeles and Fine Arts at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, exploring a different range of mediums like painting, performance art, installations, film, and computer graphics. Upon graduation, she left California for New York City and inspired by her love for reading and illustration she began working for the St. Martin’s Press, designing book covers. After 9/11, she left the city to lead a semi-nomadic life, putting into motion her dreams of wandering the world and rediscovering her Asian roots as an adult. She continued to work remotely as freelance graphic designer she traveled. In 2006, she settled in Taipei and began to work on her first series of work, holding her first solo exhibit, Arabesque, in 2007. Sophia has participated in solo and group shows from Taiwan to California, New York, Texas, Virginia, and Oregon. Although most of her body of work exists on canvas, in recent years, she began creating public pieces, moving her focus beyond traditional gallery work. By seeking a direct connection with the public, she wants to explore the existence of Art in the realm of everyday life. From 2016-2018, she completed a residency at the Journal Building Artist Program, sponsored by Artspan, and joined the Electric Snail Studio in 2019. Sophia is the recipient of grants from Alameda Cultural Programming, the Palo Alto Artlift Program, Art on the Outside grant from West Hollywood. She has lived in Los Angeles, Taipei, Portland, Newport Beach, and New York City. Since the pandemic began in early 2020, Sophia now splits her time living and working in San Francisco and Newport Beach.