Matthew Warren Lee is a Wisconsin-born oil painter and draftsman. He received his MFA from UW-Milwaukee in 2014, and lives and works in Milwaukee. Much of Lee’s work is rooted in his experience as a member of the United States Antarctic Program, where he worked in science support from 2008-2010. This included a 13-month stay at the Geographic South Pole for Antarctic winter, where he learned field medicine and taught watercolor classes to scientists and support personnel. The landscapes produced since his involvement in Antarctica feature large telescopes, neutrino detectors, and other scientific mechanisms. Lee is currently involved with the Carthage Institute of Paleontology, working to excavate dinosaur bones in Montana's Hell Creek Formation. This has influenced Lee's still lifes, which often feature the bones of prehistoric animals.
Lee’s work has been exhibited throughout the United States and includes shows in Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and New York. In addition to running his studio, Lee is a dedicated educator. He taught at UW-Milwaukee from 2012-2014, Carthage College from 2014-2015, Alverno College from 2015-2016, and is currently teaching at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD).
