The Art of Anita Leigh
Leigh Anita — Artist Statement
I was born during the Halloween season, imagining what is unseen for as long as I can remember. During my adolescence, I struggled with night terrors, at once being in fear of and fascinated by the dark. I had recurring dreams of a red house with a narrow twisting stairway. These long nights would leave a vivid imprint on my waking hours. I held onto the instinctive wisdom of sleep as a way to dispel these specters back into the darkness where they belonged. My work reflects a skeptical curiosity, offering a lightness to the monsters of folklore. I implore the viewer to embrace these characters with sympathy, and to see their fears as they are reflected upon what cannot be seen.
In my early twenties, I relocated to Salem, Massachusetts, where I taught myself wood burning and began experimenting with homemade Ouija boards and Tarot in the attic apartment of an old house. The same presence followed me to work at an old theatre, where I stitched costumes late into the night while displaced voices echoed through the rafters. In these years, I suddenly found myself slipping close to the veil. As I regained health, I began to study art history and the occult. I found power in the language of symbols and ritual practice. My work draws heavily on this time, much of my work acts as a conduit for my exploration of darkness and light. As an adult, I imagine the good and evil that exists within us all. By night, I still often lay awake to see claw—like branches and shrouds flapping in the wind, and they inspire me to create, question, and continue to toe the line between the mundane and the twilight world of spirits.
Prints of her work are available at Etsy.com/shop/leighanita
If you’re interested in purchasing an original piece, please contact Leighanita@gmail.com
Leighanita.com
IG: @Leighanita
