{{Short description|New Zealand artist}} {{Infobox artist | name = Sacha Lees | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1977}} | birth_place = Greymouth, New Zealand | death_date = | death_place = | education = Christchurch Polytechnic, Angel Academy of Art, Massey University | known_for = Contemporary Art and Portraiture | style = Contemporary Art, Baroque | notable_works = | awards = Adam Portraiture Award (2020) | website = {{URL|https://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.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lees |first=Sacha |title=Artist Statement |url=https://sachalees.co.nz/ |access-date=29 May 2025 |website=sachalees.co.nz}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Stuff">{{cite news |last1=Witton |first1=Bridie |date=26 February 2020 |title=Self-taught Lower Hutt artist wins prestigious $20,000 portraiture award |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/119781996/selftaught-lower-hutt-artist-wins-prestigious-20000-portraiture-award |access-date=13 March 2023 |work=Stuff.co.nz}}</ref>
== Training and career == alt=A black-and-white photograph of artist Sacha Lees posing before one of her Baroque-inspired works—a dynamic composition where liberated fabric and entangled limbs collide in chaos.|thumb|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<ref>{{cite web |title=SACHA LEES |url=https://sachalees.co.nz/about-contact |publisher=Homepage |access-date=11 July 2023}}</ref> as a creature designer and illustrator, model maker, sculptor and airbrush artist on Sir Peter Jackson's ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy<ref name="LOTR scrapbook">{{cite web |title=Lord of the Rings movie credits |url=https://lotrscrapbook.bookloaf.net/ref/credits.pdf |website=Lord of the Rings Fanclub Scrapbook |access-date=13 March 2023 |ref=Page 18}}</ref> and designed some of the commercial merchandise for the productions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Meriadoc 'Merry' Brandybuck |url=https://www.thewetamuseum.com/lotr_ssw/busts/sswbust_merry.html |website=The Museum - sold out products from our friends at Weta |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> 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.<ref name="acting hands">{{cite web |last1=Amidi |first1=Amid |author-link=Amid Amidi |title=‘Lord of the Rings’ Animation Supervisor Randall William Cook Speaks Out On Andy Serkis |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/motion-capture/lord-of-the-rings-animation-supervisor-randall-william-cook-speaks-out-on-andy-serkis-99439.html |website=Cartoon Brew |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref>
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.<ref name="stuff2">{{cite news |last1=Wenman |first1=Eleanor |title=Classical and modern art techniques combine in Hutt artist exhibition |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/arts/97247739/classical-and-modern-art-techniques-combine-in-hutt-artist-exhibition |access-date=30 August 2024 |work=Stuff.co.nz |date=28 September 2017}}</ref>
In December 2010 Lees was included in the exhibition ''White Cloud Worlds'' at the Dowse Art Museum,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Healy |first1=Rachel |title=Get Lost in "White Cloud Worlds" |url=https://dowse.org.nz/news/media-releases/2010/get-lost-in-white-cloud-worlds |website=dowse.org.nz |publisher=Dowse Art Museum |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> and the book of the same title published in 2011.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tobin |first1=Paul |title=White Cloud Worlds |date=2011 |publisher=Harper Design |location=New Zealand |isbn=9780062197856 |url=https://www.harpercollins.com/products/white-cloud-worlds-paul-tobin?variant=32116429455394 |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Exhibitions |url=https://www.whitecloudworlds.com/exhibitions |website=whitecloudworlds.com |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Lees |first=Sacha |title=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 |date=2024 |publisher=Massey University |url=https://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/72575 |language=en}}</ref>
=== 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Adam Portraiture Award 2012 |url=https://www.nzportraitgallery.org.nz/exhibitions/2012/2/23/adam-portraiture-award-2012 |website=New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> 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”.<ref>{{cite web |title=Adam Portraiture Award 2020 Finalists |url=https://www.nzportraitgallery.org.nz/adam-portraiture-award/2020-finalists |access-date=13 March 2023 |website=New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Unfinished: A National Portrait Gallery Exhibition Essay |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c10224dd274cb06e78da57c/t/62281da386f04a3da425a917/1646796203124/Unfinished+Essay+Website.pdf |access-date=29 May 2025 |publisher=New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata}}</ref> In 2022 she was Highly Commended<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-26 |title=Adam Portraiture Award 2022 |url=https://www.nzportraitgallery.org.nz/exhibitions/2022/5/26/adam-portraiture-award-2022 |access-date=2025-06-01 |website=New Zealand Portrait Gallery |language=en-NZ}}</ref> and won the People's Choice award with ''See me'', a portrait of her daughter.<ref>{{cite web |title=Adam Portraiture Award 2022 People's Choice Award |url=https://www.nzportraitgallery.org.nz/adam-portraiture-award/peoples-choice-2022 |website=New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata|access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref>
=== 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.''<ref>{{cite web |title=New stamps celebrate Lord of the Rings twenty-year anniversary, hand painted by artist Sacha Lees |url=https://www.nzpost.co.nz/about-us/media-centre/media-release/new-stamps-celebrate-lord-of-rings-twenty-year-anniversary-hand-painted-by-artist-sacha-lees |website=New Zealand Post Media Centre |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> Alongside the 2021 stamps, Lees also designed sets of ''Lord of the Rings'' commemorative silver coins.<ref>{{cite web |title=NZ Post release The Fellowship of the Ring 20th anniversary coins |url=https://www.nzpost.co.nz/about-us/media-centre/media-release/nz-post-release-fellowship-of-ring-20th-anniversary-coins |website=New Zealand Post Media Centre |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> The following year, Lees was again commissioned by New Zealand Post to design five commemorative gold and silver coins for the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.<ref>{{cite web |title=2022 Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee 5oz Silver Proof-Like Coin |url=https://collectables.nzpost.co.nz/2022-queen-elizabeth-ii-platinum-jubilee-5oz-silver-proof-coin/ |website=New Zealand Post Collectibles |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> Design of the 2023 New Zealand Annual Coin - Native Bee - Ngaro Huruhuru.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2023 New Zealand Annual Coin - Native Bee - Ngaro Huruhuru Silver Proof Coin |publisher=NZ Post Collectables |access-date=1 May 2023 |url=https://collectables.nzpost.co.nz/2023-new-zealand-annual-coin-native-bee-ngaro-huruhuru-silver-proof-coin/}}</ref>
=== 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 * 2025 ''Me: Artists Paint Themselves'', New Zealand Portrait Gallery, Wellington.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-28 |title=Me: Artists Paint Themselves |url=https://www.nzportraitgallery.org.nz/exhibitions/2025/1/24/me-artists-paint-themselves |access-date=2025-10-03 |website=New Zealand Portrait Gallery |language=en-NZ}}</ref> * 2025 Wing and a Prayer, The Dowse Art Museum, Wellington.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Museum |first=The Dowse Art |date=2025-09-09 |title=Wing and a Prayer |url=https://dowse.org.nz/exhibitions-and-events/exhibitions/2025/wing-and-a-prayer |access-date=2025-10-26 |website=dowse.org.nz |language=en}}</ref> * 2026 Aspiring Art Prize, Wanaka.<ref>https://www.aspiringartprize.co.nz/artist-2026</ref>
=== Publications ===
Works by Sacha Lees have been published in the following books: * 2002 ''The Lord of the Rings – The Art of 'The Fellowship of the Ring'''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Russel |first1=Gary |title=The Lord of the Rings – The Art of 'The Fellowship of the Ring' |date=2002 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |isbn=978-0618212903}}</ref> * 2003 ''The Lord of the Rings – The Art of 'The Two Towers'''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Russel |first1=Gary |title=The Lord of the Rings – The Art of 'The Two Towers' |date=2003 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |isbn=978-0618331307}}</ref> * 2004 ''The Art of ‘The Lord of the Rings'''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Russel |first1=Gary |title=The Art of 'The Lord of the Rings' |date=2004 |publisher=Mariner Books |isbn=978-0618510832}}</ref> * 2008 ''Spectrum 15 – The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art''<ref>{{cite web |title=Spectrum 15 |url=https://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/volumes/spectrum-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313044205/https://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/volumes/spectrum-15 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |website=Spectrum Fantastic Art |publisher=Spectrum |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> * 2009 ''Spectrum 16 – The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art''<ref>{{cite web |title=Spectrum 16 |url=https://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/volumes/spectrum-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313044217/https://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/volumes/spectrum-16 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |website=Spectrum Fantastic Art |publisher=Spectrum |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> * 2010 ''Spectrum 17 – The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art''<ref name="Spectrum Fantastic Art">{{cite web |title=Spectrum 17 |url=https://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/volumes/spectrum-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313044206/https://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/volumes/spectrum-17 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |website=Spectrum Fantastic Art |publisher=Spectrum |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> * 2011 ''White Cloud Worlds, volume 1''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tobin |first1=Paul |title=White Cloud Worlds Vol 1 |date=2011 |publisher=Harper Design|location=New Zealand |isbn=978-0062197856}}</ref> * 2012 ''White Cloud Worlds, volume 2''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tobin |first1=Paul |title=White Cloud Worlds Vol 2 |date=2012 |publisher=Harper Collins |location=New Zealand |isbn=978-0473215040}}</ref> * 2012 ''Spectrum 19 – The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art''<ref name="Spectrum">{{cite web |title=Spectrum 19|url=https://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/volumes/spectrum-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313044207/https://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/volumes/spectrum-19 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |website=Spectrum Fantastic Art |publisher=Spectrum |access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref> * 2015 ''White Cloud Worlds, volume 3''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tobin |first1=Paul |title=White Cloud Worlds Vol 3 |date=2015 |publisher=Ignite Inc. |location=New Zealand |isbn=978-0473329693}}</ref> * 2015 ''Women of Wonder - The Best of Women in Contemporary Fantastic Art''<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fenner |first1=Cathy |title=Women of Wonder - The Best of Women in Contemporary Fantastic Art |date=2015 |publisher=Underwood Books |isbn=978-1599290720}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lees, Sacha}} Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:People from Kumara, New Zealand Category:Coin designers Category:New Zealand stamp designers Category:People from Greymouth Category:21st-century New Zealand women artists Category:21st-century New Zealand painters