Special Exhibition | All Ages | Our Location
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20 Years Chasing the Rolling Cart featuring Tom Lee

By Tom Lee

Discover 20 Years Chasing the Rolling Cart, a special exhibition celebrating two decades of puppeteer Tom Lee’s groundbreaking work. Blending traditional Japanese kuruma ningyō puppetry with modern techniques like live video and miniature sets, Lee’s creations tell powerful, cross-cultural stories.

From acclaimed works like Shank’s Mare to behind-the-scenes designs and puppets, this immersive exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the artistry and innovation of one of contemporary puppetry’s leading voices.

Entrance to this Special Exhibition is included with admission to the Worlds of Puppetry Museum, February 12-May 17, 2026

Meet the Artist

Tom Lee

Tom Lee, a director, designer, and puppet artist, was born in Korea and raised in Hawai’i. He began his career at La MaMa Experimental Theater in New York and later worked with St. Ann’s Warehouse Puppet Lab. Lee’s work blends manipulated figures with film techniques and animation, creating original puppet theater pieces, performing as a puppeteer, and designing puppets through Chicago Puppet Studio.

His notable works include Sounding the Resonant Path, Shank’s Mare, Akutagawa, and The Great Zodiac Animal Race. Lee has performed in productions such as War Horse (Tony Award), Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera, and Petrushka with the New York Philharmonic. He has also collaborated with artists like Dan Hurlin and Lee Breuer.

As co-director of Chicago Puppet Studio, Lee’s design work spans theater, dance, opera, and film, including productions for the Metropolitan Opera, Lookingglass Theater, and Ma-Yi Theater Company. Lee’s puppetry has been supported by organizations such as The Jim Henson Foundation, The Japan Foundation, and the TCG/Andrew W. Mellon In the Lab Program.

Lee has taught puppetry at institutions including Sarah Lawrence College, Lincoln Center Theater, and the University of Chicago, and co-directed the St. Ann’s Puppet Lab. In 2021, he co-founded the Chicago Puppet Lab to foster new voices in puppet theater.