Tommy Lei
“I am not interested in what is perfect.
I am interested in what is.”
— Tommy Lei
Transforming my evocative images into fine art print is an essential part of my creative process here at the studio. Having direct access to some of the most prestigious papers from the Canson Infinity printing house truly makes my prints sing with the highest of vibrations, textures and stories. The gravitas of Platine Fibre Rag to the storied textures of Arches Aquarelle Rag are unparalleled in archival and print quality. Seeing these prints framed and hung in the homes of my collectors or at an exhibit really brings this full-circle experience to life. Canson Infinity papers imbue my prints with a sense of timelessness and vividness that encourages appreciation and interaction.
Tommy Lei (b. 1988, Hong Kong) is a Los Angeles–based visual artist working in photography. His practice explores stillness, perception, and impermanence through meditative landscapes and narrative-driven photographic series.
Working with archival pigment prints across aluminum, acrylic, and wood, Lei distills natural and urban environments into contemplative visual fields that heighten awareness of light, atmosphere, and presence. Influenced by both Eastern philosophy and Western minimalism, his work examines fragility, resilience, and the subtle emotional architecture of place.
His series Infrared Dreams reimagines familiar landscapes through custom infrared processes, transforming vegetation and terrain into luminous spectral environments that challenge habitual perception. In A Thousand Koi, Lei shifts toward symbolic and iterative forms, using the image of the koi as a meditative device to explore endurance, transformation, and collective memory.
Lei holds a degree from Cornell University. His work has been exhibited at the Pasadena Museum of History and is held in the corporate collection of JPMorgan Chase. His photography has been featured in publications including Architizer, Aesthetica Magazine, and The Washington Post.
https://www.tommylei.com/
https://www.instagram.com/tommy.lei/
https://www.facebook.com/tommyleistudio
