Lee Nickless is an East Gippsland resident whose work is deeply influenced by the natural environment, which serves as both inspiration and foundation for their digital creations. Currently, their artistic focus explores the concept of mimicry in nature. Engaged closely with the local community, Lee Nickless finds inspiration and motivation through collaborative and community-focused projects.

Primarily collaborative in nature, their practice involves extensive work with the local arts community. As an art educator, they are passionate about mentoring and developing skills within their local artist collective. This engagement spans multiple roles and projects, including teaching in local schools, directing a mural crew comprising six artists, leading ArtLab—a digital arts collective—and serving as Creative Director for the East Gippsland Winter Festival, curator for Iceworks Studio, and a board member for "Float," a local artist residency and collective.

With support from Rebus and Project Alchemy, Lee Nickless facilitated two significant projects complementing and supporting Lakes Lights, a key event during the East Gippsland Winter Festival.

The first project, "Eclipse: A Journey of the Moths," paid homage to the Bogong moth, an essential element of East Gippsland’s traditional ecological and cultural heritage. Collaborating with fellow Project Alchemy artist Mica and local youth, they co-designed a roving arts performance. Young participants developed choreography and costumes to represent the Bogong moth, culminating in a performance at Lakes Lights in Lakes Entrance, witnessed by an audience exceeding 5,000 attendees. Accompanying this performance, Lee Nickless coordinated a team to create a large-scale moon sculpture and projection installation, specifically crafted as a backdrop for the moth performance.

The second project involved creating a dynamic studio environment that offered materials and facilitated a rolling workshop to support 15 artists in constructing major sculptural lanterns. These lanterns featured prominently in the festival parade and installations, notably illuminating the main beach at Lakes Entrance and serving as the central attraction during the Lakes Lights event.