Rozana Lee

Rozana Lee
Lee in 2025
Born1970 (age 55–56)
Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Alma materUniversity of Auckland
Known fortextiles and painting
StylePatterns

Rozana Lee (born 1970) is a New Zealand artist of Chinese Indonesian descent, notable for her use of textiles.

Early life and family

Lee is a fourth generation Chinese Indonesian, She fled Jakarta to Singapore at a time ethnic Chinese were being severely persecuted throughout Indonesia.[1] Lee never felt belong in Indonesia.[2]

During the Boxing Day Tsunami, Lee lost her mother Rosna, her relatives, childhood friends and family home in Aceh, Indonesia. Lee's father, Karimun survived the tsunami.[3]

Art career

Lee's father and grandfather had a textile shop in Aceh, so Lee grew up with fabrics, with many patterns and colours, and there is always plenty of excess fabric. The shop was destroyed during the Boxing Day Tsunami.[2][4]

Her artistic journey reflects cultural connections across Central and South East Asia, Pacific Ocean, and Central America. Lee use Indonesian Batik textiles to investigate how cultures evolve through the interactions and exchanges. Her work resonates with her personal experiences of prejudice in Indonesia, and highlights common motifs found in trading ports where diverse cultures come together. This exploration not only showcases the patterns and symbols of different cultures but also underscores the stories behind them and the relationships that shape them.[3][5]

Lee's research examines how patterns convey historical and aesthetic knowledge of specific cultures, while also serving as a link between generations, diverse cultures, and countries through various means, including early migration, the introduction of religion, international trade, colonisation and cross-cultural exchanges.[2] She makes the patterns with the beeswax with a canting tool on textiles, and the tie-dye she uses all have historical significance.[6]

Her work is held in many private collections overseas and in New Zealand, including the Circuit,[7] University of Auckland,[8] Art House Trust,[9] Govett-Brewster Art Gallery,[10] Christchurch Art Gallery.[11]

Residencies

Selected solo and collaborative exhibitions

Selected group exhibitions

  • 2025: Aotearoa Art Fair, Redbase Gallery, Viaduct Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand[22]
  • 2024: Horizon 2, Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[23]
  • 2023: Belonging: Stories of Contemporary New Zealand Asian Artists, Bergman Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand[24]
  • 2023: 胎息, Tai Xi (That birth breath), TuiTui, Auckland, New Zealand[25]
  • 2022: Several degrees of attention, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand[26]
  • 2022: Fluid Borders: Far Nearer, The Pah Homestead, Auckland, New Zealand[27]

References

  1. ^ "Rozana Lee | Satellites Archive". www.satellites.co.nz. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  2. ^ a b c Winder, Virginia (2019-08-16). "Tactile Histories: Fabrics telling stories". stuff. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  3. ^ a b Amery, Mark (2024-03-28). "Travelling through Asian and Pasifika cultures in batik with Rozana Lee". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  4. ^ "House Visits: Connecting Cultures". thebigidea.nz. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  5. ^ "Home is Anywhere in the World". Art New Zealand (Summer 2020-2021): 42.
  6. ^ Matila-Smith, Natasha Matila-Smith. "The Unmissables: Three Exhibitions to See in July". Pantograph Punch. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  7. ^ "Rozana Lee". www.circuit.org.nz. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  8. ^ "Rozana Lee., 2013 - 2019 | ArchivesSpace Public Interface". archives.library.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  9. ^ "LEE, Rozana". The Arts House Trust. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  10. ^ "Public Relations | Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre". govettbrewster.com. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  11. ^ "Adzan". christchurchartgallery.org.nz. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  12. ^ "Geography of nostalgia: Rozana Lee's artist residency in Yogyakarta, Indonesia". Asia New Zealand Foundation. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
  13. ^ a b "Rozana Lee, Studio Kura residency | Contemporary Hum". contemporaryhum.com. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  14. ^ "Rozana Lee, Visiting Fellows Programme | Contemporary Hum". contemporaryhum.com. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  15. ^ "Rozana Lee, The Zhelezka Project | Contemporary Hum". contemporaryhum.com. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  16. ^ a b eloise (2020-11-24). "ROZANA LEE | Aotearoa Art Fair". Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  17. ^ "Echoes Through Time". Artnow. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  18. ^ "Windows to the World | Corban Estate Arts Centre". ceac.org.nz. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  19. ^ "Rozana Lee: Sekali pendatang, tetap pendatang". Artnow. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  20. ^ "Exhibition: Rozana Lee | A Way of Being Free - Auckland - Eventfinda". www.eventfinda.co.nz. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  21. ^ Weng, Amy (2022-07-09). "This hand that is every stone" (PDF). Govett-Brewster Art Gallery. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  22. ^ "Redbase-gallery-aotearoa-art-fair". Artnow. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  23. ^ "Horizon 2". Art News Aotearoa. 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  24. ^ "Belonging: Stories of Contemporary New Zealand Asian Artists". Art News Aotearoa. 2024-08-07. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  25. ^ "胎息 TaiXi, that birth breath". Art News Aotearoa. 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  26. ^ "Several degrees of attention". Artnow. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  27. ^ ""Fluid Borders" + Tori Clearwater, Wallace Arts Centre | Artsdiary 3366". www.artsdiary.co.nz. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
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