Patrick Turner-Lee

Biography

I am a Brighton-based  artist, with a visual practice incorporating painting and drawing. My creative journey began later in life. I spent most of my career in the corporate world, but on Christmas Day in 2013, I suffered a heart attack. During the long process of recovery, I discovered an unexpected desire to make art. I began painting and drawing, eventually transitioning to oil paints. Using loose, intuitive painting techniques, I create works that explore faces, objects, landscapes, and methods of communication, seeking to highlight the positive aspects of my disabilities, such as how I pay close attention to faces because I lipread.

In 2024, I was the recipient of an Arts Council Developing Your Creative Practice grant, which facilitated a move towards accessibility in my art. I’m achieving this by learning to make touch-friendly natural pigments and including BSL and other accessibility tools in my presentation of work. My aim as an artist with deafness and ADHD is to work with my executive functioning challenges and communication barriers to create works that cross access barriers and form connections.

Throughout my artistic journey, I have grappled with Imposter Syndrome, often questioning my place in the art world. However, this struggle has fueled my desire to open up dialogue through the paintings I make. By sharing my experiences and perspectives, I hope to foster understanding and connection, inviting viewers to engage with my work on a deeper level. My art is not just a reflection of my personal journey but a bridge to broader conversations about accessibility, communication, and the beauty found in our differences.

Now a new opportunity being accepted onto and MA course at the RCA due to begin in September 8th 2025. Super excited and preparing as much as I can for the challenge.