Lee Rue was born in Suzhou, China in 1962. He immigrated to the United States as a young student and later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Academy of Art University, in San Francisco. Following family tradition, Lee has fulfilled his childhood dream to become an accomplished artist. Lee's early career in design included teaching art, design, and lighting techniques at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, the Academy of Art University, and the UC Berkeley Extension in San Francisco. Throughout his teaching career, Lee never lost his passion to create his own works of art. Lee's painting style combines realistic basics with impressionistic colors, strokes, and light. His western genre paintings convey a romanticism style. Lee's portfolio includes American heritage style works, and sophisticated landscapes and portraits, including live-model paintings. Lee joined other renowned master painters in several special joint exhibitions in California. Lee's paintings have also been accepted into the prestigious C.M. Russell Museums' exhibition and auction and have been participating the Miniature Masterpiece Shows and hold Your Hose Shows at Phippen's Museum and Settlers West Gallery. Many of Lee's paintings have been nationally juried into OPS, AIS, CAC, NOAPS, and other associations' exhibitions.

Recent awards:

- The Best Figurative Art Award at Slopoke West Art Shows in Solvang, California 2024.

- Artists Choice Award at Slopoke West Art Shows in Solvang, California 2023.

- The Best of Show – 2 Dimensional Award, Out West Art Show, Montana 2023.

- Phippen Museum Foundation Awards, Western Art Shows in Arizona 2022 and 2024.

- People's Choice Award at Mountain View Americana Art Show, South Carolina.