Artists > Charlotte Lees

Charlotte Lees transforms and translates the elements of nature to express a personal vision of her environment. Beauty matters and her goal is to create lasting images that connect man to his surroundings.

Having been born and raised in Cleveland, Lees proudly received the Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship in 1995 for her outstanding body of sculpture.

Living on wooded property, trees became the perfect material for her wall and free standing images. Many of the cherry trees were logged, planked and carefully aged before carving. Most of her wood sculptures are intricately painted, this is a result of her early training as a graduate student at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

Being well travelled she has incorporated images from diverse cultures into her work. On a recent trip to Oaxaca, Mexico she became fascinated with embossed metal and has incorporated this technique into her artist vocabulary.

Art is her passion and Lees has successfully completed both public and private commissions in stainless steel, aluminum, bronze and wood. She has said that she enjoys the freedom of developing concepts without material constraints. As well as commissions Lees has had numerous museum and gallery exhibitions. She is constantly trying to expand her artistic vocabulary by exploring the work through “fresh eyes” and looks forward to the challenge of creating new sculptural ideas.

You can view an example of her public art sculpture SIDE by SIDE at the pocket park on Third Ave. in the Harrison West Community of Columbus.

Artist Statement:

The relationship between man and his environment has been the focus of my recent work. Having been trained as a painter and printmaker, my sculpture has a two dimensional quality. Working primarily in wood, I carve, assemble and paint my pieces. Many sculptures contain added materials such as birch bark, metal and photo images. These elements help to create a complex and visually exciting landscape.

Content is important and I strive to present a unique view of our surroundings. I am constantly trying to increase my artistic vocabulary by exploring my world through “fresh eyes.”