Leia Sands Paints Dreams in the City
The first time that I had ever seen graffiti, I was quite young. My family occasionally took trips to New York’s South Bronx to visit my paternal grandmother. Standing on the platform at the station, I watched, mesmerized, as each subway car rolled past me. It was an event that blew this Staten Island kid’s mind. I could hear the shock and disgust of the other passengers who were waiting. They were angry. Of course, I couldn’t make it known to the adults how much I admired subway art; in their minds, it was nothing more than vandalism (okay, so it was, but it was pretty vandalism) carried out by hoodlums. It never occurred to me until just now, but I believe it might have been my first time being exposed to art. Unfortunately, even as an adult, I never had the opportunity to meet any of these magnificent artists. Dondi, Tracy 168, Lady Pink, Zephyr, Phase 2, and so many more of those old-school graf artists were like faceless gods to me.
Leia Sands is a fine artist, but she isn’t a graffiti artist. But, she loves graffiti and has been quite fortunate to have met some of the original New York graf artists, in addition to a few old-school rappers. It’s a beautiful thing, I think when artists of one style express their appreciation of artists of a dissimilar style. There is sharing and learning in these interactions.
Though hailing from the Sunshine State, it is apparent that Leia has made her home here in New York. Not simply by virtue of being a resident, but by immersing herself in the culture and declaring her appreciation for the wonders of this great city. Obviously, some of her artwork reflects that connection. While I could spend another hour talking about Leia and her art, how about I let her do the honors instead.
You’re a self-taught artist and while I don’t know whether it’s common or not but I seem to meet a lot of people who are. Where did your journey into art begin?
Yes, I am a Self-Taught Artist. I don’t have any formal Art School or Art Apprentice type training. Being a self-taught artist isn’t very common but that’s awesome that your connections have brought these artists your way. My journey as an artist began in North Carolina at Fort Bragg Military Base where my father was stationed at the time as a very young child around 3-4yrs when I discovered markers. I figured out quickly that markers made pretty colors on the walls, so I started scribbling on all the walls in my house. My parents were upset at first because now they had to repaint the interior walls but remedied the situation by providing me sketchbooks & crayons etc to doodle on.
Florida is where you’re originally from Florida and you’ve lived in Tennessee, and now you’re a resident of New York. One thing I like to ask artists is how has their environment informed their work. I don’t mean subject-wise, what I’m talking about is inspiration. Is there a vibe in each of those states that reverberate with you and influence your art in any way?
Leia Sands
I was born in Florida and moved around a lot due to my dad’s military career. Once he retired from service we moved back to Florida where I was able to grow up & graduate High School. During my middle & high school years I won awards from the Board of Education and other organizations that sponsored Juried Art Shows locally, regional, and state-wide. I won art awards on all 3 levels in Florida. When my dad retired from the military he became a Sea Captain. My sister & I would spend summers helping my dad on his deep sea charter fishing boat which was where my inspiration came from, the sea and mythical sea creatures like Mermaids.
My family has a lake house in Tennessee that as an adult I’ve spent a lot of time at for peace of mind. I call it ‘My Lil Slice of Heaven”. It’s right in the Cherokee National Forest so when I’m out there my inspiration comes from Nature, Wildlife, and the Cherokee People’s way of life.
As a New York City resident for many years, my inspiration comes from the streets, urban life, money, and the Hip-Hop Culture.
You have a background in engineering, architecture, and computer aid design (CAD). Are these disciplines you utilize in your artwork or are they for other projects?
Before I went to college I was already drawing complete dream house plans from Blueprints, Interior design, and exterior design of each dream house I sketched. I thought at the time that maybe I should go this route to have a stable comfortable paycheck but after graduating my heart wasn’t in it 100%... it wasn’t my passion… So I went back to being a Full-Time Artist, being my own boss, and painting anything I want without limitations. My engineering & Architecture skills do come in very handy when I do Cityscape type paintings.
You paint in a number of styles, e.g. Landscape, Pop Art, Abstract, and so forth. Is this something that you had always set out to do from the beginning or did you wake up one day and think that maybe you should give it a try?
I’m always learning, pushing myself to continuously level up. Growing up I noticed a lot of Famous Artists limited themselves to 1 style of painting so much so that all their work started looking the same the more learned about them. I decided I didn’t want all my art to look the same, I want my art to resonate with the heart and soul. So I took the time to learn all the different styles of art to combine them together in a way that makes them my own.
What is it that has attracted you to each of those styles?
My state of mind and my environment is what have attracted me to all the different styles of paintings I create. Going to other artists’ exhibits stimulate my creativity as well and helps me stay on top of what’s new in the industry.
What medium or mediums do you work in?
I work with acrylic, oil paints, spray paint, ink, markers, and resin mostly.
With so many styles in your repertoire, I would imagine that your influences must be many. Who are some of them?
Leonardo Da Vinci, Elisabeth Viglee Le Brun, Basquiat, Mary Cassatt, Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring, early New York City graffiti artists just to name a few.
It looks like you’ve had a few exhibits, were they all in New York?
Yes, I do many art exhibits and events yearly. Although most of my shows are in New York City and surrounding boroughs, I do art exhibits in Florida and Tennessee as well. This year 2022 so far has opened a few more doors for me to start exhibiting and showing my work in Europe soon which I’m super excited about and grateful for the opportunities to share my art worldwide. I also have had the awesome chance to have celebrities buy my paintings for their private collections as well. I currently have three exhibits that are all in the works for March, April, and June 2022. For more information on my current and upcoming shows, you can check out my Instagram page.
Despite living in New York for most of my life, I never once met any of those amazing graf artists. Fortunately, you’ve met quite a few. Some old-school rappers as well. How did that come about?
I love graffiti art and I grew up listening to all the pioneers of Hip-Hop through the influence of my mom. My mom was a big fan of R&B and Disco music which lead to her listening to Rap in the 70s and 80s. My first real exposure to Rap that I remember as a kid was the song “Planet Rock” by Soul Sonic Force with MC G.L.O.B.E. and the rest of the group. That song is so classic that when played today people still get up and dance to it. Graffiti being one of the five elements of Hip-Hop was in all the music videos I saw growing up as a kid. On the walls, on the trains, and in the movies. It intrigued me and stimulated me visually.
Some of the pioneers of graffiti I met via Instagram over the years, and they saw my artwork and started following me, coming to my shows and vice versa. My opportunity to meet most of them face to face and connect with them on a friends level came a couple of years ago when I met Bronx artist Cose TDS at an art exhibit that both he & I were a part of called ‘Art Is The Cure’ that took place at One Art Space Gallery in Tribeca in which Startshows curated that event in NYC. From that show moving forward Cose & I became great friends for a while that eventually turned into a relationship. Cose TDS is an old-school graffiti artist from the late 70s and early 80s and is known for writing on the 6 train. TDS stands for ‘The Death Squad” which is their graffiti crew’s name. I’m grateful to be able to call all these amazingly talented Writers my friends.
Have you done any graffiti yourself, or are you interested in doing it at all?
I’m not a graffiti artist, I never wrote/bombed on a train, never tagged walls as these legends have… I absolutely love their artwork, their stories, their style of writing, and their culture. You definitely will see their influences in my own artwork from time to time.
Find more of Leia’s art at A Nomadic Journey: Winter Showcase exhibition at Nomadworks in New York City, now through March 19th. Follow Leia on Instagram and Facebook for updates.
