About Me

Syd Lee is an American artist, photographer, clothing designer, and filmmaker, who grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and is currently attending the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado, to obtain her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with a minor in Film production studies. Her love for fashion and sustainability has also led her to incorporate up-cycled clothing into her artistic pursuits. Her family history of escaping China from religious persecution, as well as her mother’s career in political activism in the freedom and human rights movement, have been great influences on her artwork.

Artist Statement

Ying yang is the soul of my work. The highest highs, lowest lows, the best and worst parts of humanity, horrific and delightful, right next to each other living symbiotically and intertwined. Working against systemic censorship is another big aspect to this as I believe history cannot be accurately portrayed without both sides of the story. Through my films, illustrations, and paintings I often implement subjects and styles inspired by old film, literature, and historical pop culture references, pointing out how much time has passed and how little we’ve changed. So many issues regarding sexuality, gender, class, and race persist today and I believe the duty of an artist is to capture the issues of the times. My body of work attempts to capture the universal experience of being a human being, and how these many similarities between us can bring comfort and community once we stop focusing on our differences.