Bio
Yameng Lee Thorp is an Oakland-based artist with roots in China and South Africa. She holds a BFA from Michaelis School of Fine Art, Cape Town, and an MA in Design from Domus Academy in Milan, Italy. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at Pt.2 Gallery, ICA San Jose, Bass & Reiner, KALA Institute, among others. Lee Thorp is also a 2026 SFMOMA SECA Award finalist, her work has been featured in Juxtapoz Magazine, 48 Hills, Create and Mid-Brow. Her paintings can be found in the permanent collections at Stanford.
EDUCATION
2004 BFA, Michaelis School of Fine Art, University of Cape Town, South Africa
2005 Associate degree in Animation, Beijing Film Academy, Beijing, China
2011 MA in Design, Domus Academy, Milan, Italy
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2026 "Where Are You, Beautiful World", Pt.2 Gallery, Oakland, CA
2025 “Ground”, Pt.2 Gallery, Oakland, CA
2024 “Prologue: Freer than the wind”, Pt.2 Gallery, Oakland, CA
2024 “Aurora Dawn” at Cedar Street Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2023 “Tea In Karoo”, SOBU gallery, Oakland, CA
2022 “Invitation to Elsewhere” Compound Gallery, Oakland, CA
2021 “Desert Silhouette”, SOBU gallery, “Oakland, CA
2018 “Pickled Moon” at Blank Gallery, Google, Sunnyvale, CA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026 KALA annual benefit auction, Berkeley, CA
2025 ICA San Jose Benefit Auction, San Jose, CA
2025 “Anniversary”, Pt.2 Gallery, Oakland, CA
2025 “The Shape of Home”, ARTogether, Oakland, CA
2024 “July”, Pt.2 Gallery, Oakland, CA
2024 “Shadowed Utopia” , 3 person show curated by Xiao He, Good Mother Studio, Oakland
2024 “Artists of Norton Factory”, curated by Kerri Hurtado, Art Source Consulting , San Francisco, CA
2023 “MOMENTS”, Curated by Brent Hayden, Soft Times Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2023 “Tiny”, Two Cats Gallery - Richmond, CA
2023 “Small Works , Soft Times Gallery -San Francisco, CA
2023. “Pyramid Scheme”, Bass & Reiner, San Francisco, CA
2019 Group exhibition with West Coast Craft in Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA
ART FAIRS
2025 FOG Design + Art Fair, Pt.2 Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA
2025. San Francisco Art Fair, Pt.2 Gallery, San Francisco
RESIDENCIES, AWARDS & GRANTS
2024 KALA Art Institute, Artist Residency, Berkeley
2023. Center for Cultural Innovation Grant Program for individual artists, California, USA.
2010 MIND Scholarship for Masters in Design at Domus Academy, Milan, Italy
PRESS / PUBLICATIONS
2025 Mid Brow - "Solid Ground", by Sarah Bass, June, 2025. Link
2025 48 Hills - "Dance on the edge of familiarity with Yameng Lee Thorp", by Mary Corbin, May, 2025. Link
2024 Juxtapoz Magazine - "Prologue: Freer than the wind": Yameng Lee Thorp @ pt.2 Gallery, Oakland”, November 08, 2024. Link
2023 Create! Magazine 7th Anniversary Issue - December, 2023. Link
2023 LUXE Magazine Jan 2023 Issue- “Come Check Out This Thriving Bay Area Oasis Of Creativity” by Deborah Bishop. Link
VISITING ARTIST LECTURES
2024. “Yameng Lee Thorp & Xiao He - Artist Panel Discussion”, Stanford University, hosted by Now Place x Women Overseas, Palo Alto, CA
2024 “Pick up the brush again”, Fine Arts Academy, Zhejiang Normal University, China.