Leah Riley is a mixed media artist from Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelors in Fine Art, and Minor in Gender and Women’s Studies from Seton Hill University. Leah’s work is very intimate and personal to her, it is typically focused on expressing her dreams, inspirations, and failures. She often invites her friends and loved ones to participate in the work as well.
Leah had always had a fear of clowns which impacted her early life. At the age of seven Leah almost died when she ran away from a clown and narrowly avoided being hit by a car. Over the years she has tailored the circus theme and imagery of clowns into a cohesive visual language for most of her narrative works. She works with several mediums of art, including collage, painting, video, and performance.
Leah loves being active in her community and she shows her work in various local galleries. Political activism and feminism is an important element of Leah’s life. She participates in protests for women's rights and environmental issues, among other causes that she cares about. A sense of concern for the state of the world, and commitment to advocating for equality echoes through many of Leah’s works of art. Through her work she seeks to connect with herself at a deeper level, as well as others, and to express her own thoughts and experiences.