Sean Lee. Photo courtesy of the artist.

 

The Visual Arts Lecture Series presents talks by leading Canadian and international artists, curators, and academics.

Sean Lee (he/they), artist, curator, and faculty for the Banff Artist in Residence (BAiR): Early Career 2025, explores how Disability Arts propels us towards the "crip horizon"—where artistic practice becomes a powerful tool for world-building and reimagining disability futurity. Drawing on Yinka Shonibare's characterization of Disability Arts as the last avant-garde, Lee examines how this arts movement harnesses the political potential at the intersection of access and disability to create new gateways to disability culture.

Sean is currently the Director of Programming at Tangled Art + Disability. He holds a B.A. in Arts Management and Studio from UTSC. Sean is also an independent curator, lecturer, and advisor, adding his insights and perspectives to conversations across Canada, the US, and internationally. He has taught “Accessibility in Curating: A Framework” at NODE Curatorial Studies Online and the Hidden Project with Goethe Institut Shanghai. Sean serves on the board of the Toronto Arts Council and CARFAC Ontario, is Chair of TAC’s Visual and Media Arts Committee, and is a member of the External Advisory Panel supporting the City of Toronto in the development of its next ten-year culture plan, the Action Plan for Toronto’s Culture Sector.

Visual Arts is supported by the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Outstanding Artist Program.