
Lee Mok Yee (b. 1988, Klang, Malaysia) is an artist currently based in Kuala Lumpur. He graduated from the Dasein Academy of Art in Kuala Lumpur and later from the Fine Art programme at the University of London in Middlesex. Lee’s work is process-oriented and often interrogates the material aspect in art-making. He frequently works with readymade or store-bought objects, rearranging these materials as an act of interrogation against uniformity, pushing against the boundaries of function in mass production. In the re/arranging, he questions the idea of moving within structures as an exploration of change and its futilities.
Lee’s work has been exhibited locally and internationally, in Germany, London, Singapore, and South Korea. His most recent solo exhibition was Lee Mok Yee: The Pyramid Series (2023) at Rissim Contemporary, KL. Other notable exhibitions include Rudiments (duo with Mark Tan) 2022 at Temu House, KL, and A Rhetorical Garden (2021) at Richard Koh Fine Art, KL. He was also awarded the Gold prize of the UOB Painting of the Year award in 2021. A large part of Lee’s practice focuses on collaborative projects and exchange through art residencies. He recently completed a residency in Arles, France, in 2022, under the auspices of Alliance française in Malaysia. In 2021, he was a grantee of the British Council Connections through Culture grant, which allowed him to have an online residency with British artist, Laura Porter. In the same year, he initiated a temporary collective called “Labour and Weight” with local art and cultural workers Okui Lala, Yeo Lyle, and Koe Cheng Gaik. The project was funded by CENDANA’s Art in the City Public Art Commissioning Project and later exhibited at Multimedia University in Cyberjaya in 2023.
Lee Mok Yee
Live in KL, Malaysia
Solo Exhibition
2023 One Zero, Temu House, Kuala Lumpur
The Pyramid Series, Rissim Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
2022 Une Esquisse Céleste, Galerie Huit Arles, France
2021 A Rhetorical Garden, Richard Koh Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur
2019 Superstition II (In Conjunction with GTF 2019), George Town, Pulau Pinang
2013 Superstition, Studio at Straits, Pulau Penang
2012 Scepticism is a Virtue, Artseni Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Group Exhibitions
2024
Folded Lines, UK-Malaysian Artist group exhibition, the Back Room KL, Kuala Lumpur
I am a Prayer, WLG Young Incubator Program with Ryan Naga, Wei Ling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
2023
Mystique Song ‘神秘之歌‘ group exhibition, Eslite Bookstore Malaysia
1000 Tiny Artworks Group Exhibition, the Back Room KL, Kuala Lumpur
Indonesia Contemporary Art & Design (ICAD), Jakarta, Indonesia
Realpolitik, group exhibition, Cult Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Aluminati, group exhibition, Dasein Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
2022
Rudiments by Lee Mok Yee & Mark Tan, Temu House, Kuala Lumpur
Mise En Place, duo show with Diana Hajji, Arles, France
Turun Tanah, Galeri Puteh, Kuala Lumpur
Labour & Weight: A Travelling Exhibition, Multimedia University (MMU), Cyberjaya 2021
2021
Material Matters, Sunny Bank Mills, Leeds, UK
Labour & Weight: A Travelling Exhibition, Rumah Hai Kao, Batu Pahat
Labour & Weight: A Travelling Exhibition, Hokkien Association, Pulau Pangkor
2020
The Echo Boomers, Richard Koh Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur
Warganegara, Segaris Art Center, Kuala Lumpur
Embodiment, Group Exhibition, Taksu Galleries, Singapore
2019
Locals Only, Taksu Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Bakat Muda Sezaman 2019 (Young Contemporaries 2019), National Visual Arts Gallery, KL
Catalyst, HOM Art Trans, Kuala Lumpur
Pangkor Island Festival 2019, Pulau Pangkor
SHIFT, White Box Publika, Kuala Lumpur
Reinterpreting Minimalism, Segaris art center, Kuala Lumpur
2018
The Horizon is Just an Illusion: New Thoughts on Landscape, Our Art Projects, Kuala Lumpur
Echoes of Possibilities, Core Design Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
2017
Barat East, Chandan Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
This is Where We Meet, duo show with Liew Kwai Fei, Our Art Projects, Kuala Lumpur
2016
Young Malaysian Artists: New Object(ion) III Exhibition, Petronas Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
LOOK TO SEE, Shalini Ganendra Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur
2015
Young and Blooming, China House, Pulau Pinang
Presence, Gallery@Starhill, Kuala Lumpur
March Show, G13 Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
BioDATA, Artseni Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia-Korea Asia Art Awards Invitation Exchange Exhibition 2015, OACA, Kuala Lumpur
2014
STATE, Middlesex University, London
PAUSE, Beaconsfield Contemporary Art, London
2013
Snake year Art Exhibition, OACA, Kuala Lumpur
Nordart International Art Exhibition, Rendsburg, Germany
TIGA, Three young contemporary artist exhibition, Gehriq Gallery, Pulau Pinang
2012
Asia Invitation Art Exhibition, The Seoul Museum of Art, Korea
Nordart International Art Exhibition, Rendsburg, Germany
2010
Breakthrough Exhibition, The Gallery @ Starhill, KL PAC and Dasein Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
NKOTB, Threesixty Art Development Studio, Kuala Lumpur
Residencies
2022 Rimbun Dahan, Rimbun Dahan International Residency, Kuang, Malaysia (Mar-May)
Arles Penang Cross Residency, Arles, France (Aug-Oct)
2021 Reciprocal Space, Online Residency with British Artist, Laura Porter, funded by British Council
2019 INXO International Artist Residency Program 2019, Kluang, Malaysia (Aug)
Projects & Talks
2023
Unreel Pangkor: Participatory Design and Built project, collaboration project with Colllab, Platz Studio, Hello Pangkor, School of Architecture & Built Environment (SABE) UCSI.
‘Space, Spectator and Materials’ Artist Talk at Eslite Bookstore, Kuala Lumpur
2022
Open Studio, Kuala Lumpur
Online Sharing Session, invited by Yuye Ge (迂野阁)
Resonance | Rudiments: Artist exchange by Lee Mok Yee & Mark Tan, moderated by Sarah Merican
Labour & Weight: A Travelling Exhibition, Collaboration Project with Okui Lala, Yeo Lyle, Koe Cheng Gaik, (Invited and commissioned by Multimedia University (MMU), Cyberjaya)
2021
Labour & Weight: A Travelling Exhibition, Collaboration Project with Okui Lala, Yeo Lyle, Koe Cheng Gaik
Speaker in 'On Material: Artist in Conversation' with Laura Porter, Sharon Haward, Kim Ng, Online, UK/ Malaysia
Speaker in 'On Object: Artist in Conversation' with Laura Porter, Lorna Johnson, Tan Kian Ming, Online, UK/ Malaysia
2019
Pangkor Island Festival 2019, Pulau Pangkor
George Town Festival 2019, George Town, Pulau Pinang
2017
Set Designer in Dong Di Yin 动地吟 , DPAC, Petaling Jaya
Set Designer in Musicsynthesis 光合作用, KLPac, Kuala Lumpur
Co-Director in Inner Voices, theater performance by Deaf Beat, DPAC, Petaling Jaya
2016
Installation Artist in OPIUM - Artistic Expression by Malaysian & French Artists, DPAC, Kuala Lumpur
Installation Artist in Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival, KLPAC, Kuala Lumpur
2015
Installation Artist in Hua Zong Literary Awards Giving Ceremony 2015 (花踪文学奖)
Curator & Installation artist in - ‘Insight into Being: Five Style of Chinese Calligraphy, OACA, Kuala Lumpur
Awards, Grants
2022 Open Art Competition 2021, Penang State Art Gallery
2021 Gold in Extablished Artist Group, UOB POTY 2021
Connections Through Culture UK-Southeast Asia Online Collaboration Grantees
2020 CENDANA Art in the city Public Art Commissioning Programme, 2020
2019 Shortlisted, Bakat Muda Sezaman 2019 (Young Contemporaries 2019)
Hai-O Arts & Cultural Grants 2019
Collections
UOB Bank
Penang State Art Gallery
HSBC Kuala Lumpur
Rimbun Dahan