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IAC Artist’s Story: Chris Yee (Catch up Online)

IAC Artist’s Story: Chris Yee (Catch up Online)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/jSe69G9KV3w?si=KXrQFLSKf9uaxoAS

This event was held on 30 April 2025.

Aren’t we often curious about how people—especially artists—become who they are? Did they choose art, or did art choose them? Was there a defining moment or an epiphany that set them on the path of an artist? How did they discover their unique approach to art creation and develop their own distinctive artistic style?

IAC is launching a new talk series: Artist’s Story, inviting artists of diverse backgrounds and at various stages of their careers to share the stories of their journeys—their roots, challenges, breakthroughs, and moments of self-discovery, and to shed light on how their creative minds work, and most importantly, to inspire younger generations to pursue their artistic dreams and to connect us all through our shared humanity.

We are very excited to launch this new series with the story of Chris Yee.

Chris Yee is a Sydney-based artist, illustrator, designer, and animator known for his traditional "pen and paper" techniques. Growing up in East Ryde in the 90s, he was influenced by the strong multicultural communities. He is a proud member of the evolving Asian-Australian creative identity, believing there is a unique character and original narrative found within this changing community.

Chris believes in the power of character and storytelling and is drawn to constructing narratives ranging from the humorous to the monstrous and macabre. Inspired by comics, wrestling, K-pop, punk and 2000’s rap, he finds that it is the hyperreal and grey area within these genres, the blurring believability between reality and fiction, that is most engaging. Many people have seen “Tumbalong”, a permanent public artwork in the Darling Square precinct, Sydney, created by Chris.

As a successful art designer and animator, Chris has produced work for some of the best-known brands, including Apple, Adobe, McDonalds, VIVID Festival Sydney, Sony Australia, Samsung, Opera House, Vans, Red Bull, Universal Music and Marvel Comics.

In 2023 Chris took the main stage as a keynote speaker for Semi-Permanent Festival. He is currently teaching multi-disciplinary arts at the University of Sydney and from 2022 is part-lead producer for New York based, Global Entity – EST Media’s Australian team.

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