Jenny S.W. Lee

Hello! I’m Jenny, an American-born Chinese. I grew up in a yellow house with my sisters and brothers in the calm outskirts of Boston. Our backyard was brimming with adventure: I’d comb through my mom’s Chinese garden and the lawn, finding caterpillar-like bugs and other amazing sights. I pursued a career in biology studying even more of nature’s connections. And as a freelance artist, nature inspires my creativity.

I love to reveal our planet’s diversity and complexity by mixing meaningful, vibrant visuals and text. Another way is by volunteering as a children’s literacy program tutor, engaging students to make connections in our complex world, one book at a time.

For one of my commissions, I had the privilege of painting a nursery mural. It was rewarding to imagine how my art would someday shape the child’s life.

My work has been showcased in healthcare facilities, a federal courthouse, libraries, museums, and schools, with exhibitions centered on diversity, cultural awareness, and environmental advocacy. I’ve also participated in Open Studios and international shows, including a featured fundraising exhibition for UNICEF.

My creative practice extends into community and nonprofit work, from designing art curriculum for underserved youth as an Art Enrichment Program Instructor with LEAP for Education to supporting more than 30 children at the Watoto Wa Baraka orphanage in Kenya. Additional collaborations include Asian‑American empowerment with NAAAP, women composers with Art Without Borders, mentoring with the Over My Shoulder Foundation, recycling initiatives with the Building Materials Resource Center, and science communication for the American Society for Microbiology’s journal Infection and Immunity.