In preparation of his visit to Dio Horia, the artist appears to be quite nostalgic. Leaving the Brisbane apple-picking season behind, Lee still uses the beloved non-fruit as a prop, visualizing a symbol that shares his homeland’s full taste, suggesting fun and comfort to most, devoid of any religious and ethical connotation.
Dio Horia Gallery is pleased to present Rhys Lee’s ‘Sometimes I’m a Tree’, a solo exhibition featuring ten large-scale oil on canvas works and eight smaller-scale pastel studies for a singular bronze sculpture materialized by the Australian multi-disciplinary artist, on view at Dio Horia Acropolis, April 06 – May 06, 2023.
Rhys Lee’s unique, experimental and raw practice reveals a highly intuitive process. Shifting the boundaries between representation and abstraction, the artist puts on view an ethereal quality, crafting memories in a moment of cathartic release, expressed through a vibrant color palette, broad brushstrokes, sparse but pointed elements of detail, and textured visceral forms. The artistic process varies, as beginning with a handful of preliminary sketches, Lee’s initial intention oftentimes subsides, letting the artworks reveal themselves to the world.