Xao Yang Lee

Born in 1947, Xao Yang Lee is an acclaimed paj ntaub or “flower cloth” artist who has been making needlework since she was five years old. After losing her first husband to the Secret War in Laos, Lee and her children sought refuge in Thailand where she turned to fabric and thread to sell textile art so she could afford food for her children.

Arriving in Sheboygan in 1981, Lee continued making these extraordinary embroidery, appliqué, and reverse-appliqué pieces. Against all odds, she has made a name for her handiwork throughout Wisconsin. Her work has been featured in JMKAC exhibitions and is represented in the Arts Center’s collection, cementing Lee’s legacy into the John Michael Kohler Art Center’s history. She continues to embroider passionately up to this day, passing on the craft to her descendants in the same way they were passed onto her.