My name is Leeman Smith and I’m a textile artist and illustrator. I make colorful illustrations that I transform into large textile tapestries. My illustrations are whimsical interpretations of important life experiences that have shaped who I am. The experiences I illustrate are beautiful memories spent in nature and pivotal moments that have established my identity as a non-binary person.
Through my art, I share my love for nature and find joy within my queer identity. In our heteronormative society, I am constantly forced to choose between the parts of myself that are male and female. This societal pressure threatens to tear me apart and I use art to push back. In my art, I don’t have to choose-–I can simply be me. I hope that other queer people will relate to my stories and feel less alone. As queer people, we are under constant threat of erasure, but my tapestries are a physical reminder of our beauty, resilience, and existence.
In my artistic process, I utilize a wide variety of textile techniques to create large scale tapestries. As I weave, quilt, and embroider, my illustrations blossom and transform into something new and transcendent. Through this transformation, the colors in my tapestries become more vibrant, the images gain depth and texture, and the stories I share become tangible. This transformation is why I create textile art. I love that I can use my hands to weave stories, quilt emotions, and embroider magick.