MeeWha Alana Lee

Lee was born in Masan, South Korea. She received her BFA degree from Seoul National University. She moved to the United States in 1982, receiving her MFA degree in Design and Drawing from the University of Iowa.{{cite web |title=MeeWha Lee |url=https://asba-art.org/member-gallery/meewha-lee |website=American Society of Botanical Artists |access-date=3 March 2022}}

Lee was a college graphic design professor{{cite news |title=Korean Poster Design |url=https://paulrobesongalleries.expressnewark.org/exhibition/korean-poster-design/ |access-date=February 22, 2022 |agency=Paul Robeson Galleries |date=September 1996}} and a brand design strategy executive for three global corporations.{{cite news |title='Whole Brain Thinking' with MeeWha Lee, Kraft Foods |url=http://www.whartonclub.com/article.html?aid=1477 |access-date=February 22, 2022 |agency=The Wharton Club of Northern California |date=October 6, 2011}} Her background in industrial and graphic design allowed her to participate in product and packaging development, which led to many US and global patents.{{Cite web |title=WIPO IP Portal Patentscope |url=https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/result.jsf?_vid=P22-L0IIDD-39895 |access-date=March 7, 2022 |website=World Intellectual Property Organization}}

During and after her time in these careers, she has exhibited her design and studio art internationally. She curated an exhibition of Korean poster design that brought the works of 19 of Korea's leading graphic designers to a global audience{{Cite news |last=Cloughley |first=David |date=June 4, 1997 |title=Olympic spirit captured in art |pages=4 |work=The East Carolinian |url=https://iiif.lib.ecu.edu/cantaloupe/iiif/2/00058710_0004.jp2/full/2000,/0/default.jpg |access-date=March 4, 2022}} and also exhibited and lectured on her own work in brand design.{{Cite web |title=Design Management 101/MeeWha Lee |url=https://delineationofdesign.wordpress.com/category/packaging-design/ |access-date=March 3, 2022 |website=Delineation of Design}} Her paintings have been shown in solo and group exhibitions around the United States and abroad.{{Cite web |title=Sylvia Wald and Po Kim Gallery |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/144472244@N05/31328634531/ |access-date=March 3, 2022 |website=flickr}}{{Cite web |date=September 18, 2010 |title=2010 fall art calendar |url=https://archive.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/103149734.html/ |access-date=March 4, 2022 |website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel}}{{Cite web |date=November 1, 2015 |title=Edward Hopper House Happenings, November-December 2015 |url=https://visitnyack.org/hopper-house-nov-dec-2015/ |access-date=March 4, 2022 |website=NYACK}} In 2021, she won the Butler Institute of American Art Award for her oil painting.{{Cite web |title=108th Annual Exhibition Award Winners |url=https://www.alliedartistsofamerica.org/108th-award-winners |access-date=March 3, 2022 |website=Allied Artist of America}}

Lee came to acting late, as a way to honor the memory of her younger son, Alan, a film student who died in 2014.{{cite web |title=Miguk Saram Playbill |url=https://www.localtheaterco.org/miguksaram |website=Local Theater Company |access-date=3 March 2022}}{{Cite web |last=Nyman |first=Shane |date=August 7, 2020 |title=UWO professor emeritus artist plenty inspired by NYC—pandemic and all |url=https://uwosh.edu/today/86440/uwo-professor-emeritus-artist-plenty-inspired-by-nyc-pandemic-and-all/ |access-date=March 3, 2022 |website=UW Oshkosh Today}}

She gained attention in movies such as Five Stars and on the stage.{{Cite web |title=MeeWha Alana Lee |url=https://www.backstage.com/u/meewha-lee/ |access-date=March 2, 2022 |website=Backstage}} Her performance as a loving but stern grandmother in Parked in America garnered praise for her portrayal of a "wise advisor" to the main character.{{cite web |title=Kayla Yumi Lewis's 'Parked In America' is the YA show for Asian teens |url=https://geekgals.co/2021/03/17/sxsw-2021-parked-in-america/ |website=geek gals |access-date=3 March 2022}}

In 2021, she appeared in the Netflix series, The Chair with Sandra Oh, harkening back to her academic career. According to Lee, she was cast in part because Oh wanted her to help "tell the story of academia, immigrants, women and especially women of color.”

In 2022, she played the title role in the Sam Raimi film, Umma opposite Sandra Oh and Fivel Stewart.{{cite web |last1=Renner |first1=Brian D. |title=Umma Movie |url=https://www.movieinsider.com/m20140/umma |website=Movie Insider |access-date=February 22, 2022 |date=February 21, 2022}} While her performance was lauded,{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Jason |date=March 18, 2022 |title=A Terrific Sandra Oh Elevates 'Umma' To Almost 'Elevated Horror' But The 'Horror' Part Keeps Dragging It Down |url=https://www.pajiba.com/film_reviews/review-a-terrific-sandra-oh-elevates-umma-to-almost-elevated-horror.php |access-date=June 3, 2022 |website=Pajiba}}{{Cite web |last=Chang |first=Tom |date=March 19, 2022 |title=Umma Review: Sandra Oh Shines in Generational Horror Classic |url=https://bleedingcool.com/movies/umma-review-sandra-oh-shines-in-generational-horror-classic/?fbclid=IwAR2143y10OSylk4KjnDhb2dIl2J16iIgZ_D8XaX7zfzJAbpOPkVsBg_MWfs |access-date=June 3, 2022 |website=Bleeding Cool}} the film was met with mixed reviews, many of which criticized the use of Korean imagery as "other".{{Cite web |last=Power |first=Tom |date=June 3, 2022 |title=Umma review: A film about the 'horrors of assimilation' |url=https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-50-q/clip/15901854-umma-review-a-film-horrors-assimilation?share=true |access-date=June 3, 2022 |website=CBCListen}}{{Citation |title=[영화 엄마 UMMA / 배우 인터뷰] 이제는 K-샤머니즘 / 미국 한인 이민자 가족이 숨겨왔던 어두운 비밀! / 이미화 배우 2부 {{!}} 무비프레스 2.0 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixyug4rJR4Y |language=en |access-date=2022-07-07}}

Having lived in Iowa and Wisconsin for many years, she now resides in New York with her husband, Richard Masters, a coin designer for the US Mint.{{Cite web |title=About |url=http://meewhalee.com/about/ |access-date=March 3, 2022 |website=MeeWha Lee}}{{Cite web |title=Artist Bio |url=https://richardalanmasters.com/about/ |access-date=March 3, 2022 |website=RaM Studio and Gallery}}{{Cite web |title=Richard Masters, AIP Designer |url=https://www.usmint.gov/learn/artists/aip-richard-masters |access-date=March 3, 2022 |website=United States Mint}}

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Category:1958 births

Category:Living people

Category:Actresses from Changwon

Category:American actresses of Korean descent

Category:American artists of Korean descent

Category:Korean emigrants to the United States