Lee Wei Swee

Payerne-born and Paris based photographer, Lee Wei Swee (b.1987) was described by Mykki Blanco as the re-incarnation of Timothy Leary for the 2020s. Swee’s lens is equal parts, formal, rigorous and psychedelic. Growing up he was influenced equally by hand-held movement of the skate clips; the playful formalism in Michel Gondry’s music video and the frenetic energy of Japanese film-makers like Takashi Miike. Originally trained in design and photography at ECAL in Lausanne, after a stint working as a gardener in Switzerland. Though collaborations with Walter van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester and emerging designers passing though the Royal Academy in Antwerp, he evolved his practice in fashion photography. Image making has been a means of developing a chosen family of collaborators including dop Cyprien Bourrec, set designer Felix Gesnouin, make-up artist Cecile Paravina, hair-stylist Yann Turchi. His recent shoots include the likes of FKA Twigs, Maisie Williams, Timothée Chalamet and Ugly Worldwide aka Jazelle. In addition of being the guest photographer for French magazine’s Antidote Karma issue, he has shot editorials for Vogue China, British GQ, Vogue +, Vogue Arabia, among others. Developing exhibition projects in space and further editorials on the page, he will be further expanding the kaleidoscopic bounds of culture, into art, music and fashion. He’s currently developing a body of work named after the chinese derogatory term for westerners 鬼佬 (Gwai Lo/Gwei Lao, ghost-man) discussing his double origins, which may take a cinematographic shape. More to come.