Grace Lilian Lee
Miriam Mer • Artist
Grace Lillian Lee, The Guardians, Louvre photoshoot, 2025.Photograph: Wendell Levi Teodoro.
About
Dr Grace Lillian Lee is a multicultural Australian artist, producer and creative leader, and a proud descendant of the Miriam Mer people of the Torres Strait Islands. Renowned for her large-scale woven body sculptures, her practice is grounded in the traditional technique of grasshopper weaving, passed down by mentor Dr Uncle Ken Thaiday, and reimagined through contemporary design. Lee’s work honours family, lineage and cultural continuity while exploring future-facing expressions of Indigenous identity. She is the founder of First Nations Fashion Design (FNFD), a national non-profit supporting Indigenous artists, youth and Elders. Her work has been exhibited at leading institutions including the National Gallery of Australia and internationally, and she has presented at the Asia Pacific Triennial. In 2024, she was named Indigenous Designer of the Year at the Australian Fashion Laureate Awards and her first major solo exhibition collected by QAGOMA - The Dream Weaver: Gaurdians of Grace.