Troy Lee

Chicago-born, Los Angeles-based Troy Lee’s soul-baring paintings and sketches vividly document Black American life in the 21st century, grappling with the complexities of feminine sexuality, masculine vulnerability and virtually everything in between.

The native South Sider drew incessantly throughout childhood, and at age 15 he signed up for an after-school art program sponsored by local nonprofit Little Black Pearl, studying under the tutelage of painter and muralist Hebru Brantley, a longtime mentor. Lee interned for Brantley while attending the Art Institute of Chicago, eventually dropping out to focus on his professional pursuits; a pair of local solo exhibits, (both credited to his onetime alias, Troy Scat), preceded his Vertical debut, the 2021 group show ‘#INK.’ Lee subsequently appeared at the Vertical Project Space location’s one-year anniversary group show, followed in 2022 by ‘#INK2’ and in 2024 by Vertical’s 11-year anniversary group show. ‘We From the Heavens,’ a solo showcase inspired by subtle but significant moments nestled deep within Lee’s favorite movies, television series, music videos and viral clips, followed in early 2025.