Nikki S. Lee: "Projects"

Nikki S. Lee: The Hispanic Project (25), 1998 - Photo : Courtesy Sikkema Jenkins + Co., New York

The 90’s and early 2000’s were undoubtedly a different time, and nothing spells that out quite like Nikki S. Lee’s photo set “Projects”. Originally from South Korea, Nikki immigrated to New York City to start her career in photography, a career that would quickly grow after her first solo exhibition in the city. Though she has an extensive resume of interesting and thought-provoking work, she’s best known for her series of photos “Projects”, portraits of Nikki blending herself into different American communities, like skateboarders and seniors. 

Nikki S. Lee: The Skateboarders Project (29), 2000 - Photo : Courtesy Sikkema Jenkins + Co., New York Nikki S. Lee: The Seniors Project (19), 1999 - Photo : Courtesy Sikkema Jenkins + Co., New York

Her experiment didn’t stop with just those communities though; each series is named things like The Punk Project and Ohio Project, but where it gets particularly weird is her series The Hip-Hop Project and The Hispanic Project, where she visually transforms herself with plucked eyebrows and darkly lined lips to look “Hispanic”, and even darkening her skin in The Hip Hop Project to look, for lack of a better term, black.

Nikki S. Lee: The Hip Hop Project (1), 2001 - Photo : Courtesy Sikkema Jenkins + Co., New York

This approach to her photographs has led some in the present day to slap her with accusations of cultural appropriation and blackface, while others claim she’s simply exploring things like cultural assimilation.

Nikki S. Lee: The Punk Project

Regardless of the controversy, Lee’s photographs are extremely fun to analyze, and most come off as somewhat funny, or could also seem like she is poking fun at her subjects. The conversations around her photos do create an interesting dialogue though - when many of her series were first shown in the late 90’s, many celebrated the work as a symbol for moving past ethnic identities in a world quickly becoming smaller and smaller. Now, though, many people say the opposite, that Lee had used these communities’ culture to build her own career and success, and that the work is racist as well as classist.

Nikki S. Lee: The Exotic Dancers Project (31), 2000 - Photo : Courtesy Sikkema Jenkins + Co., New York

Lee explains her approach in her own words:

"The work I do always needs to involve others, and that’s mainly because of my views about my own identity. I realized I couldn’t understand who I am without the people around me. I believe that it is only through my relationships with others that I can see myself." - Nikki S. Lee

What do you think about Lee's work? Do you find it offensive, or a genuine attempt at understanding identity and what makes us, us?