We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jesse Lee. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jesse below.

Jesse, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve always been inclined to the arts in every shape or form. I became a musician because I love music, I became a painter because I love drawing and painting and now I’ve been modeling and fashion designing. It all feels like branches on a tree for me

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Jesse Lee, a Bronx-born artist from New York City with Dominican heritage, has made significant strides in both the art and fashion industries. His career took off in December 2020 when his artwork “Judah’s Lion” gained notable acclaim at EV Gallery in the East Village. Since then, his work has been displayed in virtual galleries in Madrid, Spain, and he’s participated in numerous art shows across NYC. His art, which appears on clothing, made its retail debut in Little Italy, Manhattan, during the summer of 2022. His creations have been featured in several esteemed publications, including Malvie French Magazine and Envy Magazine.

Jesse’s artistic focus includes abstract pieces, trees, flowers, and animals, yet he consciously avoids being confined to a particular style, asserting that “labels only serve to restrict creativity.” He is celebrated for his versatility and the diversity of his work, which ranges from dramatically different projects to more cohesive collections. His pieces “Flores” and an AI-driven rendition of “The Eye of Orion” both received Honorable Mentions in a juried competition at the Teravarna Gallery in Los Angeles.

Jesse’s haute couture collection, launched in June 2024, epitomizes elegance with an edgy twist and showcases his innovation in design. A prominent influence on his work is Tetsuya Nomura, the character director for Final Fantasy. This inspiration is evident in his popular Belt Dress, a direct homage to Lulu from Final Fantasy X.

Jesse has also dedicated time to modeling where it has taken him to model and be published internationally.

Social Media Handles:
Instagram: I.Am.JesseLee, JesseLeeArtworks & JesseLeeDesignss
Website: WWW.JESSELEEARTWORKS.COM
Facebook: JesseLee

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Society could provide more grants to people like myself who want to provide jobs for others. I want to be able to create and make a living out of it, make a name for myself at the same time that I could be helping other people by providing jobs and aid to those who need it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me the most rewarding aspect of being an artist and a creative is that I get to be myself, I get to thrive in my element. I have the freedom to do what I do best completely unchained from what’s normal in society and I love that freedom. It helps me tap and live in my spirituality fully and not just partially.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.jesseleeartworks.com
• Instagram: JesseLeeDesignss
• Other: Model IG: I.am.jesselee
  Art IG: JesseLeeArtworks
  https://jesse-lee.kavyar.site/

Image Credits

Mang Kiko Photography
Juice TV Photography
Joseph Simpson Photography
TLopez Photography
Ron R Photography