ARTIST BIO

Wodi Wodi – Worimi – Yuin

Lee Hampton grew up on Dharug land, in Penrith, and is a decenand of the Wodi Wodi, Worimi and Yuin People. Lee’s Great Great Grandfather was King Mickey Johnson, a Worimi man who was brought to the Illawarra in the 1800’s and married a Wodi Wodi woman by the name of Rosie Russell. Lee’s G. G Grandfather is known as the most photographed man of the 1800’s from the Illawarra.

Although Lee has the line of his ancestry, his storytelling comes from his own life experiences, which include but not only involved reconnection culture that have been lost to him for many years. After more than 25 years of searching for a connection to his Stolen Generation background, in 2021, Lee was finally able to connect to his heritage after a number of leads finally helped to fill the gaps, including a DNA test and family search done through Aboriginal Genealogy.

Lee’s Aboriginal art style would be considered contemporary, however, Lee sees it more of an Urban Aboriginal Art, as he prefers to use bright colours that are more in keeping with graffiti styled art.

Lee began painting in 2014, after his daughter began playing representative touch football, and painted his daughters football boots for the State Cup. “I found that when I painted, I went to a different place, a connection that was spiritual, and I found a was most at peace”.

In 2016, Lee bought the family picture framing business, where he had worked since 1992 and began transforming it into an Aboriginal Art Gallery / Custom framing centre. His artworks are showcased alongside around 40 other Aboriginal artists from all over Australia.

Since the beginning of Lee’s painting journey, he has provided original artworks to clients all over the world and right across Australia. He has also worked closely with many corporate entities and Government departments to reduce one-off pieces. Some of his highlights so far would be the 21 metre long Rainbow Serpent mosaic tile piece that was produced for Concord Hospital for their cultural garden and working with the Manly Sea Eagles between 2019 – 2021 where Lee designed their Indigenous Jersey.

Lee was also commissioned to design the book cover to Our Mob Served, a first accounts book from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women. It was officially launch at Canberra War Memorial on March 2019.