Pat Lee

New Orleans, Louisiana

Artworks shown are selected from works submitted by the artist in their grant or residency application. All works are copyright of the artist or artist’s estate.

About Pat Lee

Pat Lee is a self-taught, New Orleans-based visual artist and sculptor. He was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, raised in New York City, and lived for over a decade in Mexico. He learned much of his craft by drawing and sculpting in the studio of his father, painter Long Looi Lee. Pat’s work is narrative-driven, often dealing with the human condition and social conditioning. His preferred medium is clay, but he has also worked in fiberglass, stone, plaster, wood, metal, and resin. Pat has been a full-time artist since 2005, and has participated in numerous group and solo shows throughout New Orleans, New York, Houston, and Mexico.

Program Participation

Joan Mitchell Center Residency, 2021

Website / Social Links

The inspiration for my figurative sculptures sometimes comes from aesthetic associations. My son’s question, “Where do babies come from?”, sparked a six-month exploration of a new material in order to actualize the vision I had of a giant stork head, held aloft by a pregnant woman in a one-legged posture inspired by the Masai, and meant to evoke the posture of a crane.”