At first glance, Patrick Lee’s Mercy – Love of God looks just like any other resin pour art piece. Take a closer look though, and you will see a top-down perspective of Yeshua hung on the cross between 2 sinners, depicting the scene on the hills of Golgotha in Jerusalem where He made the ultimate sacrifice.
Part of his From Above series which combines resin pour artworks with traditional ink painting techniques, the Singaporean artist takes a look at key bible occurrences from God’s perspective. The pieces depict scenes with a top-down view, reminding the audience to always take on God’s perspective in the journey of life. Using the resin pour technique to create the pieces takes control away from the artist and puts it in the hands of the Lord, giving Him the ultimate power to decide how His story will be told.
So why is an artist from Singapore creating paintings of holy sites in Israel?
It all started 15 years ago, when Patrick first discovered the Gospel of Grace and was saved by Yeshua. Intrigued to learn more about his newfound faith, he studied the bible voraciously and through it, felt an affinity to the holy land of Israel. That strong sense of connection has led him to visit Israel 9 times since, learning new things about the land and its people with each trip.
The From Above series is largely inspired by Patrick’s love for the holy land and the biblical stories that took place within. Noteworthy pieces include Deliverance – Power of God which shows the Son of God in the midst of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego’s trial, protecting them as they were thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzer. Promise – Miracles of God depicts how Yeshua created a path for His followers to cross the Jordan river. Beloved – Love of God sees a dove descending upon Jesus in the water, like God commanded the Holy Spirit to descend upon Yeshua at the inauguration of His ministry.
Trying to change the perception of Christian art as traditional and conventional, Patrick experiments heavily with cutting edge styles and mediums. His main collection is the digital hyperrealism series, with works inspired by biblical stories and themes. Painstakingly hand drawn stroke by stroke on an iPad, the first piece was created after Patrick heard the Lord challenge him to a lesson of patience. Shown the beauty and fruits of patience by the Lord, Patrick continued to work on more pieces, hoping to remind people of Yeshua’s presence and grace through the artworks. Lion of Judah features a majestic lion signifying the strength and power of God’s Word. Gethsemane depicts Jesus’s compassion for us and His determination to redeem us through His sacrifice. Behold the Cross reminds us to keep our eyes and faith on the Lord.
Fusing Patrick’s passion for technology and art, each piece is accompanied by a video showing the creation process that can be viewed via an Augmented Reality app. He has also dabbled in Virtual Reality painting, creating breathtaking 3D artworks depicting multi-dimensional renderings of biblical scenes like the parting of the Red Sea, and David taking on Goliath.
Other than continuing to create more outstanding works in his art practice, Patrick dreams of starting a non-profit art/media school to equip needy youths with artistic skills, to help them acquire a vocation and become financially independent. He is hopeful that revenue generated from his art will fund the operations of the school.
About Patrick Lee
Born in a rural kampong (traditional village) in 1970s Singapore, Patrick was the youngest of five in a family that struggled to make ends meet. Not the most studious of children, he was more interested in spending his time drawing and doodling. In his early teenage years he fell into bad company and started hanging out with gangs, showing no ambitions and meaningful purpose in life.
But what was certain was his passion for art and Patrick decided in his late teens to enrol into Singapore’s Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Though his gift and interest were in fine arts, he decided to pursue a diploma to acquire graphic design skills as a vocation. That led to a successful career in advertising, eventually becoming Creative Director of his own creative and design agency, started together with his wife Lily.
A turning point in Patrick’s life came in 2005, when Lily brought him to attend church for the first time, where he discovered Yeshua. Patrick started to read the Bible voraciously, finding a new meaning and purpose to life and seeking Him and His wisdom every single day. He then left the company he founded to work as a Creative Director in the church for the next 10 years.
Wanting to combine his passion for art with his newfound love for God, Patrick started to create art pieces inspired by His word. In 2017, Patrick decided to fully commit to pursuing this cause full-time, and left his job to become a fine artist.
Patrick Lee is a Singapore-based artist who creates artworks inspired by his Christian faith. You can see more of his works at his Instagram page and website.