Painting
Justin Lees
Subjects | Abstract, Figurative, Expressionism, Modern
Justin Lees Born 1981. Lives and works in Mulubinba / Newcastle, Australia. Justin Lees is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, sculpture, photography, and design. With a bold abstract expressionist style characterised by visceral brushwork, vivid colour palettes, and textured layers, Lees’ work evokes a raw emotional language that invites deep reflection on memory, nature, and the human condition.
Available to Bid
Artist Profile
Justin Lees Born 1981. Lives and works in Mulubinba / Newcastle, Australia.
Justin Lees is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, sculpture, photography, and design. With a bold abstract expressionist style characterised by visceral brushwork, vivid colour palettes, and textured layers, Lees’ work evokes a raw emotional language that invites deep reflection on memory, nature, and the human condition.
A self-taught artist, Lees has exhibited widely across Australia and internationally, with over ten solo exhibitions since 2004. His work draws on personal experience, intuition, and introspection—creating pieces that move between chaos and harmony, often anchored by landscape or internal states. Whether working on large-scale canvases or intimate studies, Lees’ approach is immersive, gestural, and deeply felt.
After a period of part-time practice between 2008 and 2014, Lees returned to full-time artmaking with renewed energy in 2019, when he was appointed Artist in Residence at the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI). This unique collaboration between science and art became a catalyst for further multidisciplinary experimentation and led to a series of sold-out solo exhibitions.
In 2023, he presented I Saw Your Ghost Tonight at Wester Gallery—a major solo exhibition accompanied by a self-published book and a short documentary, which he co-produced and scored. The project reflected his ability to synthesise multiple creative forms into a singular, emotive narrative.
Lees has undertaken a number of significant public and private commissions, including large-scale works and curated interior projects. His work is held in private collections across Australia, New Zealand, England, and Europe.
In 2024, he was awarded the David Strachan Memorial Prize for Contemporary and Non-Traditional Practice, and was a finalist in both the Gosford Art Prize and the LEDA Gallery Prize, as well as a semi-finalist in the Newcastle Club Foundation Art Prize.
In 2024, Lees undertook an international residency in France, where he began developing a new body of work exploring the interplay between visual art and sound. The residency marked a pivotal moment in expanding his practice into multi-sensory installation and laid the foundation for his next major solo project.
With a growing national and international profile, Justin Lees continues to explore new territory—challenging traditional forms while remaining deeply connected to emotion, landscape, and memory. His works offer a poetic and powerful encounter for viewers and a compelling voice for contemporary Australian art.
And yet I find, repeating in my head If I can't be my own, I'd feel better dead
What medium do you work with, and why have you chosen them?
I work mostly in oil, however I use acrylic, spray paint, pastels, charcoal etc to build layers and add features.
I love working with oil, how you can manipulate the paint and the textures of the finished product
How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?
Usually I will find a concept to base my works on, from there I will either search or photograph reference materials. start with some sketches, ideas in my visual diary. From there I create a playlist to go along with the works, and usually let that play a major role in the colour pallet and the intensity of the brush strokes. I recall an interview the singer from my favourite band once said that during the recording process of his vocals, he covers the walls with pictures of his favourite singers, or the singers he wants to channel in process. I kind of do the same and cover parts of the studio with print outs of my favourite artists works, or works that i'm finding inspiring at the particular time. Over time these may change up a bit as well as some of the songs on the playlist.
Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?
I have a small studio close by to my house which is great. I've dubbed it "The Hell Hole", its small, and gets very hot in the middle of summer. It has a red velvet armchair, and a couple of stools. Art books and magazines. A small little boombox on a side table. a fold up table in the middle and canvas on all 4 walls around me.
Career Highlights
- 2019 HMRI Artist in Residence
- 3 Sold out solo exhibitions/collections
- Solo exhibition featuring 20 works, 108 page book and small documentary
