Carissa Lee


Master of Fine Arts in Studio, Performance

Carissa Lee is a Chicago- and Los Angeles-based artist who works with performance, sound, public intervention, workshops, video, and theater. She uses recordings, writing, Black southern culture (including medical histories, stories, music etc.) and voice to materialize emotions of grief and isolation. Her work synthesizes her desire for an empathetic tomorrow that holds compassion for all people. In addition to being an artist, she is a passionate teacher who has worked with theaters and non-profits across Los Angeles – helping students of all ages use their lived experience to make performances. She received her BFA in theater from NYU and MFA in Studio Art with a focus on performance from the School of the Art Institute Chicago. She is a founding member of the Suspended Culture art collective. She has exhibited work in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Quebec City (Canada).