CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART GRADUATE DREGREE EXHIBITION 2025  
GRADUATES \\ WORK \\ ABOUT \\
DANIEL
LEE
DEPARTMENT
2D

ORIGIN
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY I came here to discover myself, or at least to sharpen my critical eye. My work is determined through erratic self-issues I want to resolve, driven by bravado and fueled by delusion. Over time, I found my signature (along with a pinch of identity crisis)—not just in color, but in the audacity to commit. It crept into everything I made—so I embraced it, made it mine, and suddenly, I had a signature. Not just a color, but a declaration of self: Me, myself, and I. Take it or leave it.

Before Cranbrook, I wrestled with illustrating a complete image—one that felt cohesive, intentional, mine. The struggle was real. Color palettes? Daunting. Composition? Stressful. But then I surrendered to what had been staring me in the face all along: line work. It was my way of saying, “Fine, I’ll make a whole image, but I’m gonna do it my way.” And that’s where it clicked. Refining my process, distilling my work, sweating through the “why” of my work instead of just the “how.”

But this place isn’t simply just a place for selfinflicted creative agony—it’s also where I realized that art doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it thrives on stolen wisdom (with permission, of course) and borrowed perspectives. With such secondhand genius, I've built a practice that thrives on community as much as individuality. Every project, every critique, and every shared struggle with my peers has shaped me. I’ve learned that mastery isn’t just skill—it’s sweat equity, it’s failure, it’s the willingness to keep pushing forward even when you’re pretty sure you’ve peaked (so don't even think you have, because you haven't).

So here I am, armed with my distinct visual voice, stubborn line work, and an eye trained not only in criticism but in understanding that the "self" I came to find was never lost. I’ve grown, I’ve changed, and I’ve learned that sometimes, the most important thing isn’t the work itself, but the people who remind you why you started it all in the first place.


SUITS
2023, Inkjet print, 84" x 32"
SWEEPS
2024, Screenprint on fabric, 28" x 35"
SERAPHIM
2024, Inkjet print, gold leaf, 42" x 83"
BENEATH
2025, Screenprint on fabric, lightbulb, wired socket, 45.5” x 25”