Carol Lee Mei Kuen

Carol Lee, or Lee Mei-kuen (born 1963) is a Hong Kong-based contemporary artist, who was born and works in Hong Kong till this day. In her works Carol discovers and speculates on the concepts of time, memories and human relationships, utilizing shape, juxtaposition, color, rhythm and intensity. At the year 2008 she was chosen to be a member of Golden Key International Honor Society and is one of the Founding members of MIA (Mere Independent Artists). Carol creates reflective and thought provoking works through the technique called time painting.

Inspiration and Creative Process

"The uncertainties in life have become the source and core of my work"

Carol Lee Mei Kuen’s work is a reflection on the notions of time and life. The inspiration behind her current work came from a story about her teacher, the painter Jerry Kwan. She shared an extremely special bond with him. In 2008, she found out he passed away in his studio, which affected her to a large extent. This event made her concentrate even more on human existence, life and capturing time through her art. Other personal events that influenced her work were the absence of her son in her life and the sickness of her mother. All this motivated her to move to a house in the highlands of Hong Kong, away from the city’s hustle and bustle to further develop her art. nature. The movement of fallen leaves, rain, insects and birds are all sources of stimulation for her artistic process. She believes in a simplistic trajectory of life creating emotions of love and loss.

Carol’s artwork usually consists of her tracing shadows of objects with a pencil, cutting out a stencil and then exposing the paper (under the stencil) to sunlight. It can take her up to 10 hours if the objects are outdoors but sometimes longer for the colours to deepen. Once she completes her work, its life begins as it continuously evolves day by day, with its colors increasing in contrast. The original colours continue to transition into different variations of themselves, unless exposed to sunlight. The difference between photography and Carol’s works are that her methods do not include chemical substances that preserve color, therefore Lee’s work illustrate the philosophy of time painting.

Exhibitions

• ‘Chinese Abstract painting competition’ in Macau Art Museum, 2008
• Glass China, Alexander Tutsek-stiftung, Germany, 2008
• Art Container Project West Kowloon Cultural District, 2008
• Beyond Luminosity, Fotan Loft, 2008
• Till the end of the World, 1a space, cattle depot, 2007
• Under-layers Sino group, 2006
• To set fire and stir wind, 10 Chancerylane Gallery, 2004