ArtworxTO Spotlight: Trey Lee

Meet this week’s ArtworxTO’s Spotlight Emerging Artist Trey Lee. I have always wondered: 'How deep is my potential, rather than how much of it there is?' The name’s Trey Lee aka Vitreyous, I find that I’m discovering more of my potential every day. Growing up as a black youth in elementary school, there has been a myriad of teachers that I am expected to look up to, most of which have told me in some way that I would not amount to anything, some teachers would threaten or attempt to call the police on me, and labels would be stuck on me as a troublemaker or worse. Indeed I was one, and a creative one at that. That led me to eventually find people in my life that have helped me look inside myself and discover what I truly wanted to be. A geologist. No, a photographer, a technician, or music producer? So much to choose! I went from a troublemaker to a “jack of all trades, master of none”. But I didn’t want to have such limited time with each of my passions. I want to dive into them, learn everything about them. I had doubts on whether or not I could continue with one passion or the other, and eventually leave it behind, but I digress.

Fast forward to 12th-grade high school, I was in a discussion at a school club. We reached the topic of future careers and passions. I stated that I would like to be a geologist with merit, a white art teacher said “Why would you want to work a white man’s job? There’s no place for you there, Merit isn’t real.” I kept to myself quiet and respectful, but it hurt like hell. I thought I escaped from all of the past disdain from teachers, yet it all came back and hit like a truck. I am more of an outspoken and headstrong person now. I wish I could show her who she was dealing with. The questions still resonate with me, however. As they can be applied to black youth. I attend a club at the Ontario Science Center, called the Young Toronto Mineralogist Club as an ambassador. Check the site, look at the pictures. I am the only black youth there. Up until a black family entered the club, I found myself mentoring a black boy. I wanted to make him feel as comfortable as possible, as he was timid in the beginning. I was never aware that an environment where nobody relates with you would be a challenge. He once told me “Thank you so much for helping me to understand everything, I never knew black geologists exist!” At the time I just realized that I can be a mentor and a leader myself. I would love to express that with my photography.

Combining minerals with more black faces, so more youth can feel included, ensured that they are going somewhere where they’ll always be supported, and consolidate their decisions with their future careers without ridicule. No more labels. I became involved with arts and culture in Toronto by indulging further in my photography, and noticing that I have been interacting with black graffiti artists, photographers, painters, and entertainers in the downtown core more often. They also seem to be underground, and they deserve the spotlight in my eyes.