Production DesignEmile Is Missing
Art and Performance
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which I live, work, and create. I pay respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging. Always was, Always will be.
From the river to the sea. Free Palestine, end the occupation.
About Me
Charlie Lee is a set and costume designer, artist, and writer born in Aotearoa and working on unceeded Wurundjeri land. They use material-led processes particularly in devised, movement based, and community driven works. Charlie loves found and weathered objects, more-than-human ecologies, slippery textures, disappearing acts, archival aesthetics and trash. Led by queer/trans* and ecological methodologies, their work sits in in-between zones, precarious balances, and feelings of anticipation.
Designing for dance, theatre, and film, recent projects include ‘Air Hunger’ (Lucy Eidelson, 2023), ‘As Things Go’ (Jacqui Maida, 2024), Diagrammatica (Jason Maling, 2025), and Sam Carson’s film ‘Emile is Missing’ (2024). They hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production) from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA); selected design credits include ‘Time Under Tension’ with Luke George (2024) and devised work ‘Angelfood’ (2023).
Recently they have worked with designers Andrew Treloar as a costume maker, and Eugyeene Teh on ‘PULAU’ (Melanie Lane, 2025). Charlie was also part of the Emerging Writers Program at Seventh Gallery in 2024, and continues to co-facilitate a Trans Ecology reading and project group.
EDUCATION
2024
2021Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production) / The Victorian College of the Arts*
Internships with Andrew Treloar, Eugyeene Teh, APHIDS, Jason Maling and M’ck McKeague
SEVENTH Gallery Emerging Writers Programme
Special FX Makeup / Toi Whakaari Summer Workshop
DESIGN+ MAKING
2025
2024
2023
2022
Diagrammatica, by Jason Maling, RISING Festival / Host & Costume Production
Mis O’ The Mountain, by Jessie Monk, Dancehouse / Costume
Pulau (Island), Chor. Melanie Lane, AsiaTOPA / Costume Production for Eugyeene Teh
(Un)Tethered, Chor. Luke George, VCA / Spatial & Costume Design
Vacations in America by Will Palazzo / Production Design (Music Vid)
Emile Is Missing by Sam Carson / Production Design (Film)
Tesselate-topia Roaming Axolotls / Costume
Everybody by Brendan Jacobs-Jenkins, Dir. Isabella Vadiveloo, VCA / Costume
As Things Go by Jacqui Maida / Costume & Development
I'll Explain It All To You Later, Victorian College of the Arts / Costume & Devising
Air Hunger, Abbotsford Convent / Costume
//command_shift ^break, MUDFEST / Costume
The Wilde Kind, Midsumma Festival & Fringe / Set and Costume
The Schgooks of Flughm, MUSE Festival / Set and Costume
Seven Seconds, MUSE Festival / Set and Costume
HAML3T, UniMelb Shakespeare Society / Co-Set Design
ART
2025
2024
2023
2022
2020
Stonefruit / Performance
Thread of by Body, Thread of my Bed, Unassigned Gallery, cur. Phoebe Greaves / Group
The Lygon Street Art Show, cur. Margot de Gier / Group
The Small-ish Art Prize, Nabe Studios / Group
Quakes in Mind, George Paton Gallery / Solo Exhibition
Cabinet of Curiosities, National Library of Aotearoa / Group
BACKSTAGE & MORE
2024
2023
2022
2021
Trans* Ecology Club, held at Terrain Bookstore / Co-Faciliator
Possum Magic, Australian Ballet School / Costume Assistant (Internship)
MUSE Festival, Victorian College of the Arts / Production Manager
Little Women, Victorian College of the Arts / Costume Assistant & Dresser
The Wilde Kind, Midsumma Festival / Stage Manager
EMILIA, Arts Centre Melbourne / Costume Assistant
Theatrum Botanicum, VCA Dance / Set Construction
HAML3T, UniMelb Shakespeare Society / Assistant Stage Manager
ROXY, WITCH Aotearoa / Costume Assistant
Sweeny Todd, WITCH Aotearoa / Costume Assistant + Dresser
Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Wellington Repertory / Dresser