Lee Rue was born in Suzhou, China in 1962. He immigrated to the United States as a young student and later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Academy of Art University, in San Francisco. Following family tradition, Lee has fulfilled his childhood dream to become an accomplished artist. Lee's early career in design included teaching art, design, and lighting techniques at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, the Academy of Art University, and the UC Berkeley Extension in San Francisco. Throughout his teaching career, Lee never lost his passion to create his own works of art. Lee's painting style combines realistic basics with impressionistic colors, strokes, and light. His western genre paintings convey a romanticism style. Lee's portfolio includes American heritage style works, and sophisticated landscapes and portraits, including live-model paintings. Lee joined four other renowned master painters in a special joint exhibitions in the YoloArts and Silicon Valley Asian Art Center, and will be presenting in the Sonoma City Community Center in August 2024 in California. Lee's paintings have also been accepted into the prestigious C.M. Russell Museums' exhibition and auction and he will be attending the Miniature Masterpiece Show at Phippen's Museum in 2024. Many of Lee's paintings have been nationally juried into OPS, AIS, CAC, NOAPS, and other associations' exhibitions. Lee's paintings have received many awards, including: Artists Choice Award at Slopoke Fine Art of the West. Solvang, California. 2023 The Best of Show – 2 Dimensional Award, Out West Art Show. Montana. 2023 Phippen Museum Foundation Award, Western Art Show. Arizona. 2022 People's Choice Award at Mountain View Americana Art Show. South Carolina.