Timothy Hyunsoo Lee is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice explores the relationship between bodies, borders and rituals. Born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in New York City, he received his B.A. in Neuroscience, Biology and Studio Art from Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) and his MFA in computational arts from Goldsmiths, University of London (UK). Looking at his practice through a kaleidoscopic lens that includes multicultural perspectives and both analog and technological processes, his works reference fortresses, imagined landscapes, fleshy bodies, and the transient moment in-between, to highlight the tumultuous experiences of immigration, of othering, and what belonging means within these communities as a queer body. He references legacies of history and tradition and often subverts their presentation through queer abstractions and other forms of deterioration – both naturally occurring but also forced.
Timothy’s works have been exhibited widely at venues such as the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Orlando Museum of Art, the Studio Museum, The Wallach Art Gallery of Columbia University, The YoungArts Foundation Gallery and La Casa Encendida, with a public project with the MTA Arts & Design (New York). He is represented in private and public collections around the world, including Facebook, The MTA Arts & Design, The Luciano Benneton Foundation, The Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The Basu Foundation for the Arts, and Fundacion DOP. He currently lives and works between Boston and New York City.
Education
2021
Goldsmiths, University of London. Master of Arts. Computational Arts.
2012
Wesleyan University. Bachelor of Arts. High honors, Studio Art.
2012
Middletown, CT (USA). Biology. Studio Art (drawing). Neuroscience & Behavior.
Solo Exhibitions
2024
Our Family Portrait. Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Boston, MA, USA
2023
SanToki, Tokiya. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2023
gwisin iyagi (ghost stories). Wook & Lattuada Gallery. New York, USA.
2019
XOXO, comet boy. Sabrina Amrani Gallery, Madrid, Spain.
2016
No one dies alone. Sabrina Amrani Gallery, Madrid, Spain.
2014
double-sided. Sabrina Amrani Gallery, Madrid, Spain.
2013
Works on Paper. Scholastic Inc. Store, New York, USA.
2013
Traces. Wook & Lattuada Gallery, New York, USA.
2012
secretive skin. Ezra & Cecile Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA.
Group Exhibitions
2022
. Grand Rapids Art Museum, Miami, USA.
2024
Perspectives: Art from the MFA staff. Coso Galley - Copley Society of Art. Boston, MA, USA.
2023
The Outwin: American Portraiture Today. Ackland Art Museum. UNC Chapel Hill. North Carolina, USA.
2023
The outwin: American portraiture today. Orlando Museum of Art. Florida, USA.
2023
Positive Change. Fowler-Kellog Art Center. Chautauqua Institution. New York, USA.
2022
The Outwin: American Portraiture Today. Simthsonan National Portrait Gallery. Washington D.C., USA.
2022
Why not Korea?. Universidad de Málaga. Curated by Casa Asia. Málaga, Spain.
2022
Catorce Relatos Breves. Made in Korea. Rectorado de Cultura, Universidad de Málaga. Málaga, Spain.
2021
Long Story Short. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2021
Catorce Relatos Breves. Made in Korea. Centro Cultural Casa de Vacas, Madrid, Spain.
2021
Nammu: Aquas Primordiales. Galería Aural, Madrid, Spain.
2021
BUM BUM BA YE [Under Pressure].Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2021
Diaspora: times are changing. The Coral Springs Museum of Art, Coral Springs, Florida, USA.
2020
When The Globe is Home. Gallerie Delle Prigioni. Treviso, Italy.
2020
Cosas que nunca sucedieron aunque existen desde siempre(Inéditos ). La Casa Encendida, Madrid, Spain.
2020
Ver Versus Ver II.Sabrina Amrani, Madrid, Spain.
2020
CVA Emerging Artist Exhibition. Gallo Family Gallery, Strohl Art Center. New York, USA.
2020
Ver Versus Ver. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Madrid, Spain.
2019
Within Interdependence. An exhibition of work by YoungArts alumni curated by Deana Haggag. National YoungArts Foundation Gallery. Miami, USA.
2018
DIY. Galerie Joseph Paris. Contempo Arts. Paris, France.
2018
Art Theorema #1. Salone Delgli Incanti, presented by Imago Mundi. Trieste, Italy.
2017
Harlem postcards. Studio Museum Harlem. NYC, USA
2016
Contained. Chashama Project Space. NYC, USA
2016
RCA Secret Dubai. In collaboration with Alserkal Avenue + Art Dubai. Dubai, UAE.
2016
Framing Religion – Connections and Conflicts. GB Stuart Gallery, Carlisle Arts & Learning Center. Carlisle, PA, USA.
2015
A Curious Blindness. Columbia University. New York, USA.
2015
The Journey. S. Dillon Ripley Center, The Smithsonian Institution. Washington DC, USA.
2014
La Forme Animale. Galerie Venise Cadre. Casablanca, Morocco. Curated by Zoulikha Bouabdellah.
2014
IEAA (International Emerging Artist Award) Exhibition. Dubai, UAE.
2014
Me, Myself & I. Runnels Gallery, Eastern New Mexico University. Portales, NM, USA.
2013
Vacation Days. Hundred Forsyth Gallery. New York, USA.
2013
Aesthetica Art Exhibition, York St. Mary’s, York, UK.
2012
Studio Art Thesis Group Exhibition, Ezra & Cecile Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University. Middletown, CT, USA.
2012
Swerved, South Gallery, Wesleyan University Center for the Arts. Middletown, CT, USA.
Art Fairs
2024
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2023
NADA Miami. Presented by YOUNGARTS FOUNDATION. Miami, FL, USA.
2022
Art on Paper. MAIN | WOOK & LATTUADA GALLERY. New York, USA.
2022
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2021
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2020
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2020
Taipei Dandgai. Sabrina Amrani. Taipei, Taiwan.
2019
viennacontemporary. Sabrina Amrani. Vienna, Austria.
2019
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Madrid, Spain
2019
India Art Fair. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. New Delhi, India
2018
Artissima. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Turin, Italy
2018
The Armory Show, Sabrina Amrani Gallery (solo). New York, USA
2018
ARCOmadrid, Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Madrid, Spain
2018
India Art Fair, Sabrina Amrani Gallery (solo). New Delhi, India
2017
ARCOmadrid, Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Madrid, Spain
2017
India Art Fair, Sabrina Amrani Gallery. New Delhi, India
2016
ArtBo, Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Bogota, Colombia
2016
Art Brussels. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Brussels, Belgium
2016
Art Dubai. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Dubai, UAE
2015
ArtInternational. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Istanbul, Turkey
2015
ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani Gallery (solo/duo). Madrid, Spain
2015
Art Stage Singapore. Sabrina Amrani Gallery (solo). Singapore
Awards & Residencies
2022
Participant SENSING THE WORLD with Emeka Ogboh, FORECAST 6th Ed. (Berlin, Germany)
2021
Shortlisted to the Boochever Portrait Competition,National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC, EEUU.
2021
Nominee at Forecast Platform, Edition 6. Berlin, Germany.
2020
Artist-in-Residence. Chautaqua Institution School of Art. Chautauqua, New York, USA.
2019
Artist-in-Residence. Baccarat Factory Crystal Residency. YongArts. Baccarat, France
2017
Artist-in-Residence. The Basu Foundation for the Arts. Kolkata, India
2016
ChaNORTH. Chashama. Pine Plains, New York, USA
2014
First Prize, The VSA Emerging Young Artists Program, sponsored by The Kennedy Center and The Volkswagen Group of America. Washington DC, USA.
2014
Honorable Mention, [Me, Myself & I] juried exhibition. Runnels Gallery, Eastern New Mexico University. Portales, NM, USA.
2014
IEAA (International Emerging Artist Award), 3rd Edtion. Dubai.
2013
Art.Write.Now.Pop-Up! Artist-in-Residence Program, The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers/Scholastic Inc., New York, USA.
2013
National Art Educator Medal, The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, New York, USA.
2013
Invited participating artist, Artist Pension Trust (APT) - Global One trust, New York, USA.
2012
Long-listed artist (Painting & Drawing), Aesthetica Art Prize, London, UK.
2012
Elizabeth Verveer Tishler Award, Wesleyan University Department of Art & Art History, Middletown, CT, USA.
Projects
2021
Teaching Artist. Brooklyn Museum. New York, USA.
2021
Teaching Artist. Amazon, Creative Expressions Program. Seattle, USA.
2021
Teaching Artist. Gage Academy. Seattle, USA.
2021
Artist Talk. Gage Academy. Seattle, USA.
2019
Artist Talk. AHL Foundation. New York, USA.
2018
Come back home. A public art project commissioned by the MTA Art & Design and the Long Island Railroad for the LIRR Stewart Manor Station [Hempstead line] in Garden City, New York.
2018
1000 Attempts at a Reconciliation. India Art Fair. Solo projects. Presented by Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2017
Annual Foundraiser Auction. Christies Auction House. Asia Art Archive. Hong Kong.
2017
Public Art Commission. The MTA of New York. Stuart Manor Station (LIRR). Garden City, New York, USA.
Public collections
OCULUS VR. Facebook (Seattle, USA)
COLECCION D.O.P. Fundacion D.O.P. (Caracas, Venezuela; Paris, France; Madrid, Spain)
FUNDACION DOP. Caracas, Venezuela
MTA ARTS & DESIGN. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York (New York, USA)
THE SOCIETY AT MSKCC. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, USA)
IMAGO MUNDI COLLECTION.Supported by Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche(Treviso, Italy)
BASU FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS. Kolkata, India.
CLEVELAND CLINIC ABU DHABI. Abu Dhabi, UAE
TP CONTEMPORARY. London, UK
APT Institute, New York, USA.
The Society at MSKCC, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA.
Reviews
2016
WIDEWALLS. Timothy Hyunsoo Lee’s exhibition at Sabrina Amrani brings a new kind of optimism
2016
ARTSY Editorial. At Sabrina Amrani,Timothy Hyunsoo Lee contemplates Serenity and Death
2016
Periodistas (Es).Timothy Hyunsoo Lee: Nadie muere solo
2015
Nomadic Press.Artist and Mental Illness Interview Series: Timothy Hyunsoo Lee
2015
ARTSY.Precision and Instability in Timothy Hyunsoo Lee’s Mind Maps
2015
Artitute.Reflections on Art Stage Singapore: Timothy Hyunsoo Lee
2014
DuasArte Contemporáneo.double-sided de Timothy Hyunsoo Lee
2014
ARTSY. Art to Exorcise: Timothy Hyunsoo Maps his Mind with Watercolor
Publications
2018
Seeking Beauty: Timothy Hyunsoo Lee. GALERIE MAGAZINE, Summer Issue (New York)
2018
Names you should know at Armory. THE ART NEWSPAPER, ARNORY SHOW ISSUE (New York)
2016
Danger. THE HARVARD ADVOCATE, 150 TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE (Cambridge, MA, USA)
2015
A Curious Blindness. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (New York)
2015
The Journey. THE KENNEDY CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS (Washington DC, USA)
2014
La Forme Animale. GALERIE VENISE CADRE (Casablanca, Morocco)
2013
Spring Anthology: 100 Contemporary Artists. AESTHETICA MAGAZINE (London, UK)