Today we’d like to introduce you to Eddy Lee.
Hi Eddy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up a latchkey kid spending a lot of time in my own world drawing and painting. We moved around a lot when I was younger so I didn’t really develop any lasting peer groups. This led me to major in fine art during University. I didn’t really see much of a career in fine art at the time because it just seemed like a highly exclusive arena. Especially for my style of art which was more illustrative drawing inspiration from comic book and anime art. Around the mid 2000’s Los Angeles was at the epicenter of the low-brow, pop-surreal movement which encompassed a lot of non-traditional art styles and aesthetics. There were a couple publications at the time like Giant Robot and Hi-Fructose that were championing the scene. That’s where I discovered my future art heroes who were all Los Angeles based and also happened to be first generation Asian Americans like myself. There was a lot of pressure to pursue and succeed at “safe” career paths if you grew up in these households. So seeing others like myself making it in such a non-conventional field gave me hope. I felt drawn to the burgeoning movement. I was fresh off a failed marriage and a domesticated way of life that never suited me, it just felt like the thing to do. So I emptied whatever savings I had, packed my entire life into an old station wagon and trekked down to LA. This was around 2012.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In the beginning, I worked part-time serving at a sushi restaurant to make ends meet. It was hardly paying bills but it was consistent work. I went out to Venice Beach on a random weekend and happened upon a few artists, they were generous enough to put me onto the ins and outs of making it on the boardwalk and encouraged me to come out. I went out the following weekend and made more than an entire week’s worth of restaurant money. I decided to quit the server job and go out to the beach full-time. I spent the next few years painting and vending art wares on the boardwalk and eventually the streets of DTLA. You see some pretty gnarly stuff out there. You’re constantly around people on the very edge, barely hangin on and some that don’t make it. It was a hard dose of reality that really broke down my naive, idealistic worldview. It was a daily motivator and reminder that it could just as easily be my own fate. I learned how the city and streets move, the language, the culture and currency. It’s where I developed my thick skin and hubris, the latter of which would end up terminally sabotaging my career. The exposure from putting myself out there really helped launch my career. I was intersecting with all different kinds of industry and peoples which eventually landed me opportunity in film, fashion, music, celebrity and various events. The events helped me span out to other cities, primarily the bay area and desert southwest. Events such as Pancakes and Booze and the 626 Nightmarket being the most notable. Around this time I was also getting recognition and opportunity from galleries. All the heroes I once read about became professional associates and friends. Ambition and confidence was at an all time high. Somewhere along the journey I lost my way. Commerce took priority over craft, frivolous lifestyle distractions became all consuming as well as spiraling substance abuse. The core of who I was eroded to something I once despised. The self-confidence that was so important to survive the early struggle eventually devolved into a runaway ego, burning bridges and a falling out of favor with important networks and connections. It all seemed to unravel in an instant. I decided to leave, I made the decision to wander nomadically across Asia. I wanted to get out there and figure it all out again. I’m currently working out of Saigon, Vietnam. I’ve really grown a liking to the way of life here and reimagining everything.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My paintings focus primarily on female portraiture using acrylic paint on wood panel. They are emotive and introspective, embodying softness, grace, as well as an indomitable spirit. I often imagine where I would have seen this woman or where she may exist and landscapes usually embed themselves for context. Sometimes it’s just shapes, color or abstraction that reinforce the feel of the piece. The muse is at once someone I know, want to know and will never know. The aesthetic draws strong inspiration from fellow LA based painter, Audrey Kawasaki.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
LA is unique in that in any point in time, you may run into the right kind of eyes that can lead to opportunity or valuable connections. Go out and meet people, show up to places and events relevant to your pursuit. Don’t be afraid, tired or lazy just show up. Be amiable, humble and go all the way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @eddyleeart
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/eddyleeart
