Candace Leslie
As self-taught oil painter and collage artist born and raised in Columbus, GA, Candace Leslie cultivated a strong appreciation for plant life, natural elements and fable and folklore. Utilizing a hybrid practice combining gritty, gnarled texture and multi-layered brushstroke techniques with transformative chroma, she paints upon various surfaces, including wood panel, framed canvases and long, linen strips. Ever pressed, Candace mounts her exploration of nurturing aspects of haircare and rite of passing on cultural knowledge of this symbiotic nurturing transmitted across generations through women and children, showcased inside surreal, folkloric settings.
Candace Leslie is a visual artist whose practice focuses on showcasing the value, brilliance, and multi-faceted nature of blackness through a combination of floral and spiritual themes to symbolize growth and encourage respect towards black lives.
Hairbraiding, 8 x 12 in, oil on canvas, 2019
Quarantine at Home Series: No. 1, 12 x 12 in, oil on linen, 2021
PP: Where are you currently living/ working and what are you working on?
CL: I currently live and work in Inwood, NYC. My current work consists of monochromatic oil paintings and illustrations focused on the intersection of black haircare, motherhood, self love and foliage.
The Mermaids, 9 x 12 in, oil on wood panel, 2020
PP: Who or what has had the biggest most recent influence on your creative practice?
CL: Elements of family, childhood memories of receiving braided hairstyles and farm life permeate so much of what I paint now. Growing up around thriving vegetable crops in Georgia had a large impact on the themes continually weaving through my art practice. Sitting between an elder's legs as their hands nurture my hair and scalp, listening to the gossip and laughter in the room, feeling the culture in the air - it all made a big impression on me as a child and helps structure the direction of my paintings.
Grove, 8 x 12 in, oil on gesso board, 2020
PP: What is your favorite time of the day to create?
CL: It's lovely when I'm able work in the wee night hours when it feels like the neighborhood is asleep. There's something peaceful about flowing in solace like you're the only soul awake.
PP: How do you balance your art practice with other responsibilities?
CL: Learning to balance art practice and other things is an ongoing thing for me. Having a planner, writing daily and giving myself grace are all helpful!
Candace's work has been included in the West Harlem Arts group exhibition, was a recipient of the Davis Projects for Peace Grant through JumpstArt NYC and participated in collaborative cohort for the Hair at Ely group exhibition at the Ely Center for Contemporary Art.