Emerging Artist: An individual in the visual or performing arts with less than five years working in their discipline, who illustrates outstanding potential for making a significant impact on his or her discipline through creativity and growth.
NICK LEE
Nick Lee is a painter and 2021 Kent State University graduate. Lee lives and works in Akron, Ohio.
His work is inspired by the diversity of human experience. As a Japanese American, Lee’s visual art strives to better represent minorities like himself in American portraiture and Western art. Another motivation for Lee is self-discovery. He uses symbolic Japanese objects in his paintings to connect with a culture that was never taught to him growing up.
Lee has shown work across the east coast of the United States including Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Lee has multiple print publications including Cleveland Magazine, Canvas, Canvas Rebel, and Dollhouse Magazine. Lee is the 2023 recipient of the Distinguished Citizen for Art Education for the Northeast Ohio region.
