About
Jaewook Lee is a new media artist whose practice uses video games as an artistic medium, alongside 3D/CGI animation, virtual reality (VR), and interactive installations. His work explores speculative histories and immersive ecologies. Through computational worlds, he treats interaction as a critical artistic method, examining cultural, ecological, and social questions.
Lee’s solo exhibitions include the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei (2024), the Museo de Antofagasta at the SACO9 Contemporary Art Festival in Chile (2020), and the SVA–NYC Art Platform in Shanghai (2017, 2019). He has participated in prominent international events, including the Currents Art + Technology Festival in Santa Fe (2025); the 20th Athens Digital Arts Festival (2024); and the ARKO Art & Tech Festival at Arko Art Center in Seoul (2021). His films and digital projects have screened at Canadian Screen Awards–qualifying festivals, including the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (2024) and the Montreal International Animation Film Festival (2023). Internationally, his works have been exhibited at institutions such as Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies, the Santa Fe Art Institute, Hong-Gah Museum (Taiwan), Total Museum of Contemporary Art (Seoul), and the Museo Juan Manuel Blanes (Montevideo). His work has been featured in Sculpture Magazine (May 2017).
Lee has served as an academic peer reviewer for Leonardo (MIT Press) and the International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA). His work is held in the permanent collections of the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art and the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts.
Lee holds a BFA from Korea National University of Arts and MFAs from Carnegie Mellon University and the School of Visual Arts. He has previously taught at institutions including the University of Chicago, the School of Visual Arts (SVA), and SUNY Old Westbury.
As Associate Professor of New Media Art at Northern Arizona University, Lee directs the Authorized Unreal Engine Academic Partner program, where he develops curricula that integrate media theory with hands-on art-game production, interactive media, and speculative digital narratives. He mentors students in using game engines and immersive tools as platforms for artistic inquiry and critical experimentation, advancing contemporary approaches to new media art.
Jaewook.lee@nau.edu_(+1) 212-498-9780