"Our bodies become our tools; rage becomes sickness. We vomit; we vomit out what we have been asked to take in." — Ahmed, (2017)

Sacha Lees is a contemporary painter based in Pōneke, Aotearoa New Zealand. Her materially driven painting practice examines historical representations that have shaped ideals of womanhood. Processes of material transformation, including bodily imprinting onto reclaimed copper and the displacement of painted measuring tapes, become acts of reclamation. Through these methods, Lees reimagines inherited imagery through a contemporary feminist lens. Her work questions the hierarchies of value that determine which bodies are elevated and which are marginalised.

Lees studied in New Zealand and Italy, completing a Master of Fine Arts with distinction at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa | Massey University in 2024. She has received national recognition, including the Adam Portrait Award in 2020 and further accolades in 2022 and 2026. She has undertaken major public and private commissions, and her work is held in private collections.