Paris, 8 June 2015
The Rubin Museum of Art has announced the appointment of Risha Lee as curator of exhibitions from 1 July 2015.
Currently the assistant curator of South and Southeast Asian art at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Lee is known for her research on the confluence of politics and art on the South Asian region. In her new role, Lee will lead a multifaceted creative team to develop a forthcoming series of exhibitions, as well as collaborating with the curatorial staff at the Rubin for other exhibition projects. Rubin Museum’s Executive Director, Patrick Sears said of Lee’s appointment: “Risha’s energy, expertise, and leadership will help shape the exhibition program at the Rubin, connecting new audiences to the Himalayan region—and beyond, including India and China \[…\] Her extensive research on the cross-cultural exchange of art, people, and ideas integrates well with our mission, and we’re thrilled she is joining our team.”
During her two years at the MIA, Lee worked on several exhibitions about cross-cultural dynamics in South Asia and made important acquisitions for the permanent collection. One such exhibition was “Imperial Nature: Flora, Fauna, and Colonialism in India” (2014), which focused on commissions by Indian princes and European colonialists in the 17th and 18th centuries. Prior to her work in Minneapolis, Lee held research and teaching positions at the National University of Singapore, the American University of Beirut, and Columbia University. She received her doctorate in art history from Columbia University and her B.A. from Harvard College.