Artist | Thomas Lee
Photography
Hong Kong
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About Thomas Lee
Born in Taipei, raised in Hong Kong, educated in Chicago, and now based in New York and Beijing, Thomas Lee meanders between the East and the West working as a journalist-artist. He aspires to distill the abstract from the literal; his work is both reportage and fiction. Thomas received his double-major B.A. in film and fine art with honors from Northwestern University, and has since completed multiple award-winning photo projects in Afghanistan, Uganda, Cuba, Ghana, China, and the United States, on subjects ranging from the legacy of war, to various cultural identities, to China's contemporary transformation. He was nominated Discovery of the Year at the 2006 Lucie Awards, dubbed the Oscars of photography. His work has participated in group exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, Cologne, and London.
CV
Education
Northwestern University – School of Communication and Weinberg College of Arts &
Science 2006 Double-Major B.A. - Radio/TV/Film and Art Theory & Practice, with Honors
in Art
Experience
Asia Weekly (亞洲週刊) – leading Chinese international newsmagazine.
Commissioned Photographer, Videographer, Writer, July 2008 - Present
Atlas Press – photo agency specializes in breaking news, features, and exclusives
worldwide with clients such as Time, Newsweek, Stern, Paris Match, National Geographic.
Photographer, July 2008 - Present
The New York Times – world renowned newspaper.
Freelance Photographer, September 2007 - July 2008
VII Photo Agency – represents prominent photographers such as James Nachtwey, Antonin
Kratochvil, Lauren Greenfield.
Freelance Designer and Producer, December 2006 - February 2007
Internship, August - November 2006
•Edit, design, and develop PR and multimedia content for VII Photo
Agency
•Assist VII operations and photographers; manage VII’s archive;
produce multimedia slide shows; design VII newsletters, seminar
brochures
Arzu, Inc. – a non-profit organization that provides women in Afghanistan sustainable
income by helping them source and sell their homemade, hand-woven rugs in the U.S.
Contract Photographer, Winter 2006 - Present
Designer, Fall 2005
•Travel to Afghanistan in summer 2006 to document Arzu's ground operations and the life of the weavers in Kabul, Andkhoi, and Bamiyan
•Produce and design a field project website
•Design business cards, mini-marketing folders, exhibit portfolios; edit and manage image database; event and rug inventory photography
OpenShutter Project 2006 – a multimedia art project that aims to nurture global youth engagement and create discourse and cross-border sharing
Featured Artist, Fall 2005 - Spring 2006
•Travel to northern Uganda in December 2005 to shoot artistic and journalistic photographs that tell the stories of the internally displaced people and reintegration of former child soldiers; create the project website
•Organize and curate a joint multimedia exhibition
NU Advanced Media Production Studio (NUAMPS) – a professional multimedia production
team at Northwestern University
Post Production Artist, Summer 2005, Spring 2006
•Advanced image composite and enhancement; assist the production of
Quick Time Virtual Reality
The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University’s newspaper
Deputy Photo Editor, Fall 2005
Staff Photographer, December 2003-2006
•Edit daily photos for press; oversee operations in the photo department
•Photograph various news events around Evanston and Chicago
Awards
2009 Px3 Prix de la Photographie "Water" Competition, Honorable Mention
2008 Px3 Prix de la Photographie Human Condition Exhibition, Exhibit Winner
2007 Folio Awards Ozzie "Best Use of Photography" Gold Winner, for NEED magazine
2006 American Photo Images of the Year, Honorable Mention in Photojournalism
2006 Lucie Awards: Discovery of the Year, Nominee
2006 International Photography Awards, Nonprofessional
• Editorial Photographer of the Year
• 1st, 2nd Place and 2 Honorable Mention in Feature Story
• 1st Place and 1 Honorable Mention in People
• Honorable Mention in Fine Art
2006 PDN PIX Awards: Personal Project Merit
2005 Illinois Press Photographers Association Student Best of Photojournalism
• Photographer of the Year
• 1st, 2nd, Honorable Mention Picture Stories
• 2nd Place Pictorial
2005 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Circle Awards: 1st Place feature
Portfolio
2005 Ed Paschke Memorial Award: Outstanding Artist
2004, 2005 The Kay Krieghbaum Memorial Photography Contest: Winner
EXHIBITIONS
2008 Px3 Human Condition Exhibition
Farmani Gallery, New York | Aug 21-31, 2008
Acte 2 Galerie, Paris | Premiere June 27, 2008
Farmani Gallery, Los Angeles | March 6-31, 2008
2007 American Photo Images of the Year 2007 Exhibit
SplashLight Studio, New York | December 7, 2006
2006 International Photography Awards Best of Show
Touring six countries | January 26 - February 1, 2007
2006 Kein Mensch Ist Illegal (No One Is Illegal)
Köln International School of Design | Opened December 3, 2006
2006 Ian Parry Scholarship Exhibition
Getty Image Gallery, London | August 22, 2006
2006 Open Shutter Multimedia Exhibition
Northwestern University, Chicago | Feb 24-26, 2006
Travels
Cuba, Afghanistan, Uganda, Ghana, Nepal, Dubai, China, Japan, Thailand, Greece, New
Zealand, Canada, the U.K. and U.S.
Should you be interested in working with the artist, please contact us hello.mobart@gmail.com.
