{"id":2120608,"date":"2026-08-31T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2120608"},"modified":"2026-08-31T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T21:00:00","slug":"contradiction-and-the-unknown-permeate-isaiah-lees-imaginative-dollhouse-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2120608","title":{"rendered":"Contradiction and the Unknown Permeate Isaiah Lee\u2019s Imaginative Dollhouse Paintings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1537\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-6.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a painting by Isaiah Lee of a dollhouse, skeleton, and red cloth. a skeletal hand reaches out from the dollhouse while one figure gestures toward a window, while another peers out\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cRomeo and Juliet.\u201d All images courtesy of Isaiah Lee, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Contradiction and the Unknown Permeate Isaiah Lee\u2019s Imaginative Dollhouse Paintings<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-31T09:11:17-05:00\">August 31, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/gebert\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Grace Ebert<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"colossal-share-buttons\">\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--facebook\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F08%2Fisaiah-lee-paintings%2F&amp;title=Contradiction%20and%20the%20Unknown%20Permeate%20Isaiah%20Lee%26%238217%3Bs%20Imaginative%20Dollhouse%20Paintings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Share<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--pinterest\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F08%2Fisaiah-lee-paintings%2F&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F08%2Flee-6-960x738.jpg&amp;description=Contradiction%20and%20the%20Unknown%20Permeate%20Isaiah%20Lee%26%238217%3Bs%20Imaginative%20Dollhouse%20Paintings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share to Pinterest\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Pin<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--email\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email this article\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Email<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--copy\">\n\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Copy article link\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link colossal-share-button__copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/08\/isaiah-lee-paintings\/\" data-label-default=\"Copy\" data-label-copied=\"Copied!\" data-aria-default=\"Copy article link\" data-aria-copied=\"Link copied to clipboard\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-live=\"polite\">Copy<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--bookmark\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"477142\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>With a teal roof and gabled windows, a colonial-style dollhouse is at the center of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/isaiahleeart\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Isaiah Lee<\/a>\u2019s practice. In his current body of work, the Chicago artist renders childhood toys that transition from objects of play and nostalgia into uncanny, animate entities. Set in the scaled-down rooms and landscape around the miniature home, Lee\u2019s scenes channel the wonder and theatrics of the adolescent imagination, while confronting the ways these early experiences permeate one\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<p>Born into a fundamentalist Christian family in Missouri, the artist grapples with the contradictions within the teachings of his upbringing, alongside the lived reality of being a Black man in the U.S. In \u201cShepherd I,\u201d a tiny green astronaut evokes Moses as he leads livestock through the house, while an enormous skull and concealed man loom in the shadows. The vast differences in scale within a single scene gesture toward the outsized impact of some encounters and how our memories have the capability of exaggerating the scope.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477142\" title=\"\u201cShepherd I\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cShepherd I\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cShepherd I\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1665\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-3.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Isaiah Lee of a green army toy leading livestock through a doll house with a large skull nearby. a man hides beneath the stairs\" class=\"wp-image-477237\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cShepherd I\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Narrative ripples throughout Lee\u2019s paintings, with \u201cRomeo and Juliet\u201d and \u201cJuliet\u201d capturing two different points of view of the same scene. The artist\u2019s ability to shift perspectives is a compelling world-building technique and, like his heavy use of shadow, positions each composition as an illuminated nook amid a vast network of the unknown. \u201cThey arrive at a moment when it feels necessary to return to childhood as a way of uncovering who we are and what good we are still capable of bringing forth,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n<p>Darkness pervades many of the pieces, not necessarily in a sinister way but instead to suggest the omnipresence of the unknown and a sense of underlying fear. He writes that \u201cfaith cannot simply be abandoned but must be understood as an inheritance wrought into the body and the imagination.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lee is preparing for a solo exhibition this fall at <a href=\"https:\/\/crosswalk-gallery.us\/home.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">crosswalk<\/a> in Chicago. Titled <em>A Thief in the Night<\/em>, the show nods to the Biblical notion that people need to repent in order to be \u201cright with the Lord.\u201d \u201cFor many, this warning creates a persistent sense of unease, fostering the belief that no amount of faithfulness is truly enough,\u201d the artist says. \u201cLife becomes a race against time, a race that cannot be won.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re in Chicago, you can see some of Lee\u2019s works through November 1 in an exhibition celebrating the city\u2019s emerging artists at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hydeparkart.org\/exhibition-archive\/ground-floor-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hyde Park Art Center<\/a>, and <em>A Thief in the Night <\/em>opens on October 16. Find more on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/isaiahleeart\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477142\" title=\"\u201cParable of the Sower I\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cParable of the Sower I\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cParable of the Sower I\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"795\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-5.jpg\" alt=\"a wide painting by Isaiah Lee of a dollhouse scene surrounded by a melange of toys and a red textile with small feet sticking out\" class=\"wp-image-477243\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cParable of the Sower I\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-9.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477142\" title=\"\u201cWeapons\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cWeapons\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cWeapons\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1478\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-9.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Isaiah Lee of a person seated on the floor with a cat and gun nearby\" class=\"wp-image-477242\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cWeapons\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-8.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477142\" title=\"\u201cOn the Threshold of Liberty I\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cOn the Threshold of Liberty I\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cOn the Threshold of Liberty I\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2592\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-8.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Isaiah Lee of a woman standing in an open doorway to a meadow with a small window in the clouds\" class=\"wp-image-477241\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cOn the Threshold of Liberty I\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477142\" title=\"\u201cJuliet\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cJuliet\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cJuliet\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1545\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-7.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Isaiah Lee of a child in a paper crown looking out a window while a green army man stands behind and a large skull looms in the corner\" class=\"wp-image-477240\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cJuliet\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477142\" title=\"\u201cAn Old Friend\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cAn Old Friend\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cAn Old Friend\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1664\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-4.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Isaiah Lee of a dollhouse, with a figure slumped over the porch. a boy hides between two pieces of cardboard in the background\" class=\"wp-image-477238\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cAn Old Friend\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477142\" title=\"\u201cScaredy Cat\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cScaredy Cat\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cScaredy Cat\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2668\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-2.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by isaiah lee of a figure standing in an open doorway making a gesture to reveal his shadow\" class=\"wp-image-477236\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cScaredy Cat\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477142\" title=\"\u201cCourage\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cCourage\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cCourage\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1912\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lee-1.jpg\" alt=\"a drawing by Isaiah Lee of a toy lego figure standing guard while a toy astronaut appears in an open doorway. a large head lies in the foreground\" class=\"wp-image-477235\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cCourage\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex 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In his current body [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2120608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2120608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2120608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2120608\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2120608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2120608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2120608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}