Photograph credit: Amber-Jayne Bain
Sacha Lees is a contemporary fine artist based in Pōneke, whose painting practice delves into the intricate collisions of identity and power within womanhood, using her body as both a site of resistance and a symbol of domination.
Her current explorations stem from years of an internal struggle between mind and body, where control was asserted by pitting one against the other. In this context, Lees challenged the undermining of her artistic identity, particularly in a pre-#MeToo world where personal authorship faced significant assault. As Sarah Ahmed poignantly states, "Our bodies become our tools; rage becomes sickness. We vomit; we vomit out what we have been asked to take in." In this light, visceral struggles emerge as Lees works to disentangle herself from past identities, creating a transformative mess from which wounds and weapons collide. The collaboration of mind and body in this space seeks to reclaim ultimate authority. As Hannah Dawson suggests, "feminists must look inside themselves to identify the tyrants that reside there."
These explorations of power operate as a surreal push-and-pull mechanism, drawing viewers into a tumultuous maelstrom of yearning for escape while simultaneously urging engagement with the complexities of identity and desire. Discarded single-use objects jostle with her body parts, emerging triumphantly from layers of packaging plastic and lush drapery.
Influenced by the opulence of 17th-century Baroque art, Lees employs classical techniques to portray this internal struggle, creating what can be described as a feminist bildungsroman. Her maelstrom scenes confront the societal 'becoming' of womanhood, examining the tension between agency and oppression. Through her works, she invites an intimate yet uncomfortable conversation about gender hierarchies shaped by grand narratives.
In her quest to reassert control and claim the body as a subject of its own narrative, Lees experiments with new materials and processes, challenging traditional boundaries. In this transformative space, viewers are invited to witness an awakening—a continual evolution of self in flux.
Lees's artistic journey has garnered notable recognition, including the Adam Portrait Award in 2020, alongside further accolades in 2022. Traversing from the classical traditions of Florence to contemporary academic achievement, she earned First Class Honours in her Master of Fine Arts from Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa | Massey University in 2024.