Leah Mariani

Artist bio

I'm a Melbourne based figurative artist making art about womanhood and identity. I draw on my experience as a woman and a mother, and I am a passionate advocate of women’s issues and gender equality, which is a constant theme in my work.
I have an interest in pattern and include it in most of my work. My attraction to pattern comes from my love of order (I'm also an accountant), but more importantly I like the flat, decorative element it adds. I predominately create paintings but also dabble in paper collage and printmaking.
I work out of my home studio in Surrey Hills Victoria, where I live with my husband, two kids and a dog.

I create art because...

My art practice explores what womanhood means to me. Traditions, society and media teach us about what womanhood looks likes and influences how we view ourselves. I’m trying to unpack that through my art.

I am different to most artists because...

I work part-time as and artist and part-time as a finance professional. My love for order and symmetry makes me different to other artists and also explains my interest in pattern. I include pattern in nearly all my work through the use of stencils, patterned fabrics and decorative paper.

When you look at my art, the thing I want you to feel is...

I want my art to be aesthetically pleasing but also interesting and meaningful. My art is multilayered, depending on how the viewer interprets it.

The thing I most want to say to non-artists is...

There is an enormous amount of time, sweat, thought and love that goes into creating an original work of art work: from the experiments that fail, sourcing materials and all the other unsexy work that goes on behind the scenes means that there is a lot more to it than meets the eye.

I believe art is an important part of our lives because...

Art makes us look at the world differently. It shows you the world through someone else's eyes. It can open your eyes and touch your heart.

Current artworks

By Leah Mariani

Blue Beard

48cm (H) x 45cm (W)

Paper collage o...
By Leah Mariani

Pretty In Pink

48cm (H) x 45cm (W)

Paper collage o...
By Leah Mariani

The Fox Hunt

83cm (H) x 63cm (W)

Watercolour, in...
By Leah Mariani

Rachel

54cm (H) x 44cm (W)

Gouache, pencil...
By Leah Mariani

Handle with Care

90cm (H) x 115cm (W)

Acrylic and oil...
By Leah Mariani

Kiss The Girls

40cm (H) x 40cm (W)

Screen print on...
By Leah Mariani

Open Shut Them (AFL)

40cm (H) x 40cm (W)

Screen print on...
By Leah Mariani

Open Shut Them (Ballet)

40cm (H) x 40cm (W)

Screen print on...
By Leah Mariani

Cute As A Button

50cm (H) x 50cm (W)

Oil and fabric ...
By Leah Mariani

The Three Fates

107cm (H) x 142cm (W)

Oil and acrylic...
By Leah Mariani

Three Fates (with red ribbon)

110cm (H) x 135cm (W)

Oil and acrylic...
By Leah Mariani

Danae

91cm (H) x 61cm (W)

Oil and acrylic...