gallery nine5 is pleased to present an exhibition of new works by British artist Tim Hon Hung Lee.

Of Chinese descent, Tim Hon Hung Lee draws from the stories and memories of his family and ancestors, establishing a visual harmony between his Eastern heritage and Western upbringing. Executed in Chinese ink on rice paper, Lee’s drawings combine the philosophies, techniques and media from these two spheres of influence.

Bridging the chasm between his Asian ancestry and British childhood, the compositions and rhythms of classical Asian art are realized with a Western perspective and realist depiction of subjects. Lee explains, “as a result, my work operates as a series of projected nostalgias and exaggerated narratives that create a vivid sense of the past – a historical tale or a lyrical dream”.

A fascination with binary opposition is evident in the artist’s technically virtuosic drawings. Beauty and the grotesque, good and evil, light and dark. This duality and quest for balance is a central theme in Lee’s works.

The fragility of the rice paper and the intricacy of Lee’s drawings exude a refined delicacy. The artist’s consummate draftsmanship is evident in the painstaking detail of each work: flowers are depicted with breathtaking precision, butterflies display the most elaborate patterns on their wings, and one can discern each gossamer fine strand in the heads of his subjects’ hair.

Floral and natural imagery pervades the drawings. The central subject in each of the artist’s works is most often cloaked in masses of leaves, flowers and insect, referring to the primacy of natural imagery in classical Chinese art. The abundance of such imagery lends a tangible lyricism and sensuality to the pieces.

Tim Hon Hung Lee holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (with Honors) from Leeds Metropolitan University, UK. He has exhibited widely throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and North America. His work is held in private collections in Berlin, London, Nottingham, Belgium, Amsterdam, France, South Korea, Singapore, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.