Ava Leeser is an artist from Brooklyn, NY who works primarily in oil painting, alongside graphite, charcoal, gouache, and tattoo. While studying psychology concurrently with her art degree, the psychodynamic theory became core to her understanding of her work, particularly the use of free association and the role of the subconscious in guiding compositions. These ideas led her to figurative work, where she seeks to connect with viewers through a sense of shared experience and obfuscated memory.
Her paintings often contrast wild, lively animals with contained, uncomfortable female figures. The figures are somewhat androgynous, yet adorned in feminine garments and accessories, examining femininity as an external and constructed force.
Leeser’s work is inspired by artists such as Kiki Smith, Lisa Yuskavage, and Joan Semmel, who have each investigated the feminine form and gender through their work. She continues to explore her identity, memory, and relationship to womanhood, embracing the tactile textures of oil paint and its ability to evoke nostalgia in portraiture.
Education
2019 - 2023 Cornell University College of Art, Architecture, and Planning - Bachelor of Fine Arts, Minor in Psychology, and coursework in Design + Environmental Analysis.
2017, 2018 Pratt Institute - Pre-College attended for Visual Arts
Exhibitions
Blue - Solo painting and drawing show at the Tjaden Experimental Gallery, Ithaca, NY
Fruit Salad - Senior thesis group exhibition, Ithaca, NY
Liquidation Sale - Senior thesis group exhibition, Ithaca, NY
Sad Happy Hour - Apartment art show group series, Ithaca, NY
Soft Launch - Apartment art show group series, Ithaca, NY
Anthropu$$yne - Advanced Practice group exhibition, Ithaca, NY
Brooklyn Children’s Museum - K-12 NYC student artist exhibition, Brooklyn, NY
Awards
Charles Baskerville Painting Award. Ithaca, NY. 2023