Long Looi Lee was born in Kedah, a northern state of West Malaysia. After graduating in 1964 from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore, Lee decided to embark on an odyssey of art. America offered an opportunity to bridge his Eastern tradition of painting to the Western art movement. Lee moved to New York City to further his studies at Art Students League and later at Pratt Institute under scholarship. He was inspired by this exciting city with its myriad style, ideas, artist movements and art theories. He admired the great masters of art such as Pablo Picasso, Modigliani, Paul Klee, Dubuffet and Joan Miro.
Lee's work contains elements of his Asian heritage, in addition to a strong technique derived from western teachings resulting in a style uniquely his own. His mixed media paintings are a combination of watercolor, pastel, acrylic and oil. The emphasis in Lee's work is peace and harmony. In a sense his paintings are not his creation but a response to the environment. His works are often a result of fleeting moments when inspiration strikes. Consequently, he always carries a notebook to record his inspirations. When Lee is not painting he enjoys writing poetry and songs, creating sculpture as well as studying eastern philosophy.
Since 1970 Lee has been honored with a series of solo exhibitions throughout the United States, Canada, Asia and Latin America. In 1997, Lee was the first Malaysian artist to have his paintings simultaneously accepted by three auction houses: Christie's, Sotheby's and Glerum Auctioneers. His most recent solo exhibitions have been at the Art Gallery, Malaysia; Pamil Gallery, Puerto Rico; Catalina Gallery, Florida; Art Focus, Singapore; Art Salon, Malaysia.
Long Looi Lee and his wife Kim travel throughout the year residing in New York, Miami, and Penang, (Malaysia.)
"People have an innate creativity that allows them to see in a painting more than the artist intended. Once a painting is completed, my job is finished. The observer then becomes the creator in his interpretation of the work. If the art attracts you, it is an instinctual connection. What an observer thinks, see, and feels is more than my physical tools can express."
—Long Looi Lee