About KC Lee

KC Lee (Lee Kian Choong) is an award-winning Singapore  Photographer and Contemporary Artist with more than four decades of professional and artistic experience.  His photographic journey began in 1979 and has evolved through international photographic recognition, professional portrait and wedding photography, photography education, and an ongoing exploration of photography as an art form.

 

In 1989, KC Lee was awarded the prestigious Fellowship (FRPS) of The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain in Portraiture, becoming the first individual in Singapore to hold a Fellowship in Portraiture.

 

​​Today, his photography combines the discipline of professional photography with contemporary artistic practice, resulting on his latest master series: Art in Nature.

 

Core Photography Expertise

- Fine Art Photography          :-Exploring nature, abstraction, form, texture and light.

- Master Portraiture                :-Nearly two decades of professional studio portraiture and wedding photography.

- Consultation & Education :-Conducting specialised photography workshops and private mentorship.

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Photography Journey, Professional Milestones & Global Recognition

• 1979 - Began his photographic journey while studying Control Systems and Computing Science at the University of Sheffield, UK.

• 1980 - Undertook photographic studies through the International Corresponding School, London, under the tutorship of the late Richard                         Farrand, FRPS, FBIPP, who served on the qualification panels of the Royal Photographic Society and the British Institute of                                    Professional Photographers.

• 1981 - Encountered distinguished British photographers including the late Alan Jackson, FRPS , and the late Ray Brightman, FRPS, during                   his formative years in Sheffield.

• 1983-85- Achieved early international recognition, receiving a Gold Medal and Bronze Medal at the 16th Malaysia International Salon of                  Photography, and Certificate of Merit at the 18th Malaysia International Salon of Photography. His works were also selected for the               New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore International Salon of Photography and the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain                     Annual International Colour Slide Competition.

• 1987 - Awarded Associateship (ARPS) of The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain. His successful ARPS panel was subsequently                          exhibited in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He also placed among the Top Ten in the Singapore National Creative Photography Exhibition.

•  1989 - Awarded Fellowship (FRPS) of The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain in Portraiture.

• 1990 - Attended the Master Photographers Association (MPA) United Kingdom National Convention in Southport, England under the                              invitation by George Dawber, FBIPP, FMPA, , where he had the opportunity to meet and interact with accomplished British professional                 photographers. He also met up with world famous American Master Photographer, the late Monte Zucker.

• 1992 - work published in the Photography Year Book, UK, by Fountain Press. 

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Professional Photography, Education & Seminars

• 1990 - Began teaching photography at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Extra-Mural Department and was invited by NUS to                     hold an exhibition featuring his FRPS Fellowship panel.

• 1991 - Founded Portrait Master Studio, establishing a professional portrait and wedding photography practice, photographing royalty,                          government ministers, artists, prominent figures, family and convocation.

•  2007 - KC Lee closed the studio to focus on his artistic career as a Singapore Contemporary Artist.

• NUS   - Invited to conduct a photographic seminar on Portraiture. 

• Nanyang Technological University (NTU) - Invited to speak on Portraiture.

• National Institute of Education (NIE)         - Invited to speak on Portraiture.

• Media Appearances - Featured in ZaoBao, Woman Magazine, Tatler, The New Paper and Arts Central television, including an interview on                                                     portrait photography in 2001.

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From Professional Photography to Contemporary Art

• 1991 - the late Dr Chen Wen Hsi (Singapore pioneer artist), awaken in KC Lee an appreciation for the spirit, philosophy and expressive                            possibilities of traditional Chinese painting.

• 1994 - Began studying Chinese ink painting under the influence of his close friend late Chen Shi Zhong, Vice President of the Shanghai Chinese              Painting Academy at that time. 

• 1998 - Began exploring contemporary Chinese  painting more extensively.

• 2006 - Graduated with a Master's Degree in Contemporary Practice, University of Huddersfield, UK, in collaboration with Nanyang Academy of Fine Art (NAFA).   

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A Continuing Photographic Journey

From a young photographer developing his craft in the United Kingdom in 1979, to an FRPS Fellow, studio master, and contemporary artist, KC Lee's creative path continues to evolve. 

Today, he looks through the lens with the same curiosity that sparked his journey over 40 years ago - now enriched by a broader artistic perspective. For KC Lee, photography remains an ongoing exploration: a unique way of seeing, interpreting, and discovering meaning in the world around us.