Sacha Lees

Last updated
Sacha Lees
Born1977 (age 47–48)
Greymouth, New Zealand
Education Christchurch Polytechnic, Angel Academy of Art, Massey University
Known for Contemporary Art and Portraiture
Style Contemporary Art, Baroque
Awards Adam Portraiture Award (2020)
Website sachalees.co.nz

Sacha Lees (born 1977) is a New Zealand artist whose contemporary oil paintings explore the entanglements of identity, power, and body anxiety within womanhood. Informed by feminist theory, her work uses her own body as both a site of resistance and a symbol of societal control. [1] Her work is characterised by a fusion of classical techniques and modern sensibilities, often drawing inspiration from Baroque art to examine contemporary issues.In 2020 she was awarded the Adam Portraiture Award, New Zealand's premier portrait prize. [2]

Contents

Training and career

Contemporary Artist, Sacha Lees in front of her painting 'Cassandra'. Photography credit: Amber-Jayne Bain. Sacha Lees Contemporary Artist 2024.jpg
Contemporary Artist, Sacha Lees in front of her painting 'Cassandra'. Photography credit: Amber-Jayne Bain.

Lees was born in Greymouth and grew up in Kumara, on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Her early training in art, figure drawing and visual communication took place in Christchurch at Hagley Community College and Christchurch Polytechnic. Between 1997 and 2004 she worked at Weta Workshop in Wellington [3] as a creature designer and illustrator, model maker, sculptor and airbrush artist on Sir Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy [4] and designed some of the commercial merchandise for the productions. [5] Her hands (in make-up) also 'acted' the part of Gollum's hands in a scene in The Fellowship of the Ring where Gollum is tortured. [6]

Lees spent a year studying old master art techniques in Florence, Italy. On her return to New Zealand, Lees applied the skills acquired in Italy to the development of her art through a series of mainly private portraiture and fantastic art commissions. [7]

In December 2010 Lees was included in the exhibition White Cloud Worlds at the Dowse Art Museum, [8] and the book of the same title published in 2011. [9] The exhibition and book were a showcase of fantasy and science-fiction art by New Zealand artists, curated by Paul Tobin and Kate Jorgensen. Lees subsequently featured in the two follow-up volumes of White Cloud Worlds and associated exhibitions in Wellington and Upper Hutt between 2012 and 2017. [10]

In 2025, Lees was awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree (1st class) from Massey University in Wellington. Her thesis, titled Profane Baroque and a Woman’s Experience, examines enduring gender inequities and the role of women in art, drawing from feminist theory and the works of artists like Jenny Saville and Jacqueline Fahey. [11]

Portrait of King Charles III

In 2025, Lees was commissioned by The Northern Club in Auckland to create a portrait of King Charles III. The painting presents a modern and relatable depiction of the monarch, focusing on his character rather than traditional regalia. This commission reflects Lees' evolving practice and her engagement with contemporary portraiture.

Adam Portraiture Award

Lees has been a finalist in the Adam Portraiture Award three times. In 2012 she entered with a portrait of New Zealand celebrity chef Peter Gordon. [12] In 2020, she won the Adam Portraiture Award with her self-portrait entitled Sometimes an Outline Coloured In. The judges described Lees as “ruthless in her self-scrutiny”. [13] The work was noted for its psychological intensity and formal innovation; one curator observed that Lees “expands on the depiction of the artist at work as she seemingly fills in her own image before our eyes,” highlighting her exploration of the unfinished as a conceptual tool. [14] In 2022 she was Highly Commended [15] and won the People's Choice award with See me, a portrait of her daughter. [16]

Commercial art

Lees has been commissioned several times by New Zealand Post to design special commemorative editions of stamps and coins. She has designed two separate editions of stamps featuring The Lord of the Rings, the first in 2002-03, and the second in 2021 marking the 20th anniversary of the release of The Fellowship of the Ring. [17] Alongside the 2021 stamps, Lees also designed sets of Lord of the Rings commemorative silver coins. [18] The following year, Lees was again commissioned by New Zealand Post to design five commemorative gold and silver coins for the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. [19] Design of the 2023 New Zealand Annual Coin - Native Bee - Ngaro Huruhuru. [20]

Exhibitions

Solo

  • 2015 Assimilate, Exhibitions Gallery, Wellington
  • 2017 Vagrant Mind, Exhibitions Gallery, Wellington
  • 2020 Embracing Shadows, Artbay Gallery, Queenstown

Group

  • 2011 White Cloud Worlds, Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt, Wellington
  • 2012 White Cloud Worlds, Lopdell House, Auckland; Museum of Art and History, Rotorua; Waikato Museum of Art and History, Hamilton; Rona Gallery, Wellington
  • 2012 Villains and Assassins, Strychnin Gallery, Berlin
  • 2013 Adam Portrait Exhibition Tour: New Zealand Portrait Gallery, Wellington; Lopdell House, Auckland; Percy Thomson Gallery, Stratford; Millenium Gallery, Blenheim; The Sute, Nelson; Eastern Southland Gallery, Gore
  • 2015 The Creatives, Puke Ariki Museum, New Plymouth
  • 2015 White Cloud Worlds, Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington
  • 2020 Adam Portrait Award, New Zealand Portrait Gallery, Wellington
  • 2022 Perspective, Exhibitions Gallery, Wellington
  • 2022-2023 Adam Portrait Exhibition Tour: Millenium Gallery, Blenheim; Percy Thomson Gallery, Stratford; Wallace Arts Centre, Auckland

Publications

Works by Sacha Lees have been published in the following books:

References

  1. ↑ Lees, Sacha. "Artist Statement". sachalees.co.nz. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  2. ↑ Witton, Bridie (26 February 2020). "Self-taught Lower Hutt artist wins prestigious $20,000 portraiture award". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "SACHA LEES". Homepage. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Lord of the Rings movie credits" (PDF). Lord of the Rings Fanclub Scrapbook. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  5. ↑ "Meriadoc 'Merry' Brandybuck". The Museum - sold out products from our friends at Weta. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  6. ↑ Amidi, Amid. "'Lord of the Rings' Animation Supervisor Randall William Cook Speaks Out On Andy Serkis". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  7. ↑ Wenman, Eleanor (28 September 2017). "Classical and modern art techniques combine in Hutt artist exhibition". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  8. ↑ Healy, Rachel. "Get Lost in "White Cloud Worlds"". dowse.org.nz. Dowse Art Museum. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  9. ↑ Tobin, Paul (2011). White Cloud Worlds. New Zealand: Harper Design. ISBN   9780062197856 . Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "Exhibitions". whitecloudworlds.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  11. ↑ Lees, Sacha (2024). Profane baroque and a woman's experience : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the postgraduate degree of Master of Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand (Thesis). Massey University.
  12. ↑ "Adam Portraiture Award 2012". New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  13. ↑ "Adam Portraiture Award 2020 Finalists". New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  14. ↑ "Unfinished: A National Portrait Gallery Exhibition Essay" (PDF). New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  15. ↑ "Adam Portraiture Award 2022". New Zealand Portrait Gallery. 2022-05-26. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
  16. ↑ "Adam Portraiture Award 2022 People's Choice Award". New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  17. ↑ "New stamps celebrate Lord of the Rings twenty-year anniversary, hand painted by artist Sacha Lees". New Zealand Post Media Centre. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  18. ↑ "NZ Post release The Fellowship of the Ring 20th anniversary coins". New Zealand Post Media Centre. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  19. ↑ "2022 Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee 5oz Silver Proof-Like Coin". New Zealand Post Collectibles. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  20. ↑ "2023 New Zealand Annual Coin - Native Bee - Ngaro Huruhuru Silver Proof Coin". NZ Post Collectables. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  21. ↑ Russel, Gary (2002). The Lord of the Rings – The Art of 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN   978-0618212903.
  22. ↑ Russel, Gary (2003). The Lord of the Rings – The Art of 'The Two Towers'. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN   978-0618331307.
  23. ↑ Russel, Gary (2004). The Art of 'The Lord of the Rings'. Mariner Books. ISBN   978-0618510832.
  24. ↑ "Spectrum 15". Spectrum Fantastic Art. Spectrum. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  25. ↑ "Spectrum 16". Spectrum Fantastic Art. Spectrum. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  26. ↑ "Spectrum 17". Spectrum Fantastic Art. Spectrum. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  27. ↑ Tobin, Paul (2011). White Cloud Worlds Vol 1. New Zealand: Harper Design. ISBN   978-0062197856.
  28. ↑ Tobin, Paul (2012). White Cloud Worlds Vol 2. New Zealand: Harper Collins. ISBN   978-0473215040.
  29. ↑ "Spectrum 19". Spectrum Fantastic Art. Spectrum. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  30. ↑ Tobin, Paul (2015). White Cloud Worlds Vol 3. New Zealand: Ignite Inc. ISBN   978-0473329693.
  31. ↑ Fenner, Cathy (2015). Women of Wonder - The Best of Women in Contemporary Fantastic Art. Underwood Books. ISBN   978-1599290720.
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