About
"Creativity takes courage" -- Henri Matisse
Channing Lee is an 18-year-old based in Orange County, California. She is an accomplished artist and musician, enthusiastic learner, and avid traveler. She has won numerous awards in poster design, 2D art, speech, and piano. Her work has been exhibited in numerous student art exhibits. She has performed the piano in various venues, including Carnegie Hall. She hopes to inspire others through her art, in all forms.
Artistic Statement
My work over the years has always emanated from my interests. However, as I matured from a curious young child to a curious young adult, I have learned to choose my subjects with purpose and care. My art reflects this change. More recently, I have woven my own ideas into my art, searching to convey a message beyond the brush strokes and color.
As a child, I chose to draw what intrigued me, whether it be elephants, rhinos, or sailboats. My personal interests of music, travels, and the arts are reflected in “Self Portrait” and “Coloring What I Love.” To explore the various media available to me and refine my own art technique, I ventured into portraiture, still life, and abstract territory. “Today,” a political commentary piece, illustrates the shifting values of society, as some float upwards toward the sky and others find themselves whirling toward the bottom of a funnel. “Evolution of a Screw” uses mixed media to convey the many stages of change, with letters snipped from a Catholic newspaper.
The pinnacle of my creative journey thus far lies in my series, “The World in Which I Live,” which comprises subjects inspired by my travels. While at first I loved to paint the landmarks and monuments I’ve seen around the world in my own artistic style (such as “Machu Picchu” and “Gulfoss Waterfall”), the series evolved to include subtle messages about how the world has revealed itself to me. For example, while walking across a bridge in Venice, I noticed many gondoliers on their smartphones, seemingly oblivious to the depth of history and architecture surrounding them. In “iGondolier@Work,” I mock the obscurity of our society, how even gondoliers who work in such a pristine location focus on the tiny screens in their hands. Similarly, in “Dubrovnik’s Perspective,” I explore the idea that one’s perspective is often constrained to how it is framed. It is up to the viewer to take caution when determining his or her own.
I hope my art can resonate with other creative minds who embrace the world deeper than at just face value. Art is constantly evolving as the artist is exposed to increasingly diverse perspectives, and art has the unparalleled power to challenge thinkers on a highly intellectual, spiritual, and imaginative level. I have fallen in love with the multifarious ways in which I can express myself through art, and I will continue to be an artist for as long as I live.