Hai Bà
From the project “Ornament”, examining notions of Vietnamese femininity through a personal and familial lens. ‘Hai Bà’ explores cultural hybridity, and traces how inherited stereotypes shape lived experiences of Asian women in the UK.
Sanaa Lee
Photography 2026
Sanaa Lee is a visual artist based in London and Bristol with a focus in documentary and staged portraiture. Her work draws together community and narrative, exploring how cultural identity is held and expressed within lived environments. Grounded in written and first hand research methods, she integrates these processes with her visual storytelling, creating a unique photographic language that merges observation with inquiry. Her work is often informed by her own heritage, and she looks to highlight Asian narratives and foreground voices that are frequently underrepresented within contemporary visual culture.
sanaalee1@gmail.com www.sanaalee.com →
Ornament
The title piece of Ornament, this image was made in collaboration with Ellie Maung, as we explored notions of Anne Anlin Cheng’s theory of Ornamentalism. We looked to reclaim Asiatic femininity from historic objectification.
Thao
Created in a project titled “Where We Landed”, it traces the emotional and physical journey of the Vietnamese boat people who came to the UK in the 1970s, and reflects on their displacement and resilience.
Untitled
Taken as part of "Ornament", this reflective piece is inspired by Hồ Xuân Hương’s poetry.
Untitled
From "Ornament", a short reflection on the domestic role throughout Viet families.
