Lee earned an
MA in Fine Art in
Chung-Ang University,
Seoul, focusing on
Western painting styles. She moved to Germany in 1990, and then back to Korea in 1993 to teach theory of art. She moved to Ireland in 2005 and her career took off after some well-received portraits in 2008. Lee's awards include: • James Adam's Salesroom Award and The Keating/McLaughlin Award for Outstanding Artwork at the RHA in 2010 and 2012. • shortlisted for the
Davy Portrait Award in 2010. • shortlisted for
Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in 2013 • shortlisted for the
BP Portrait Award at the
National Portrait Gallery, London in 2013 and 2016. • shortlisted for the Hennessy Portrait Prize in 2015 at the National Gallery of Ireland • shortlisted for the
Zurich Portrait Prize in 2018 • Won the Fergus Ahern Award in 2021 and Irish President
Michael D. Higgins. In 2022 she completed a portrait of former
Supreme Court judge
Catherine McGuinness. ==Personal life==