Born in 1963 in Singapore, Justin Lee received a diploma in fine art from Lasalle College of the Arts in 1999. Lee uses pop art as a means to pit Asian values against 21st-century consumerism in an era dominated by capitalism. Since his first solo exhibition in 2003, he has actively participated in numerous other group exhibitions in Singapore. In 2004, he participated in the Venice Biennale, 9th International Architecture Exhibition, Italy. Drawn from ancient Chinese iconography, ‘Goddess Series: MacDonald Kids’ depicts door guardians or spirits who guard thresholds. In a modern twist, a child holds a packet of fast food, heightening the jarring relationship between the traditional and the past, and the new and modernised today. An accomplished figurative painter, Lee creates a sense of longing for the nostalgic past by mystifying the painting with drips and glaze, resulting in a less-than-sharp image.
