Info
Shaped by her mixed heritage, her work investigates connections between ancestral wisdom, place, and belonging. Evolving from early work in illustration, Ludi’s current interdisciplinary practice is dedicated to deeper explorations of materiality and meaning.
2025 / Drawing development year / The Royal Drawing School / London, UK
2023 / MFA / Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts & Design / Stockholm, Sweden
2018 / Pratt Institute / Brooklyn, NY, USA
2013 / BA / University of British Columbia / Vancouver, BC, Canada
Select exhibitions
2025 / Hardly Soft, NE Sculpture Gallery Factory, Minneapolis, US (upcoming)
2024 / VITAL SIGNS: another world is possible, The Science Gallery, London, UK (currently on view)
2024 / Mine, Yours, Ours, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, US
2024 / Transcending Time, The Arts Society, Nerja, ES
2023 / Kairos, Samsen Atelier, Stockholm, SE (solo)
2023 / A Home is a Portal, Körsbärsgården Konsthall, Burgsvik, SE (solo)
2023 / Lugares, PTM Contemporary (NY Latin American Art Triennial), New York, US
2023 / HOY, National Museum of Somalia, Mogadishu, SO
2023 / MFA Thesis Exhibition, Konstfack University, Stockholm, SE
2023 / Experiments in Print, Candyland, Stockholm, SE
2020 / DULA: Tastes Like Home, TIER, Berlin, DE
2019 / Cluster Illustration Fair, The Truman Brewery, London, UK
Grants, residencies & other achievements
2025 / Studio grant, City of Stockholm
2024 / One year working grant, The Swedish Writers' Fund
2024 / Longlisted, World Illustration Awards
2024 / Shortlisted, Villa Lena Foundation Residency
2024 / One year working grant, The Swedish Arts Grants Committee
2024 / Studio grant, City of Stockholm
2023 / Shortlisted, Ung Svensk Form (Young Swedish Art & Design Award)
2023 / Exhibition grant, The National Association of Swedish Art Societies
2023 / Award, Konstfacks Foundation
2023 / Project grant, Beata Brummers Foundation
2023 / Project grant, Ulla Fröberg-Cramérs Foundation
2022 / Jury, Young Guns 20, The One Club for Creativity
2020 / Grant, Choose Democracy
2018 / Illustrator in Residence, The Other Art Fair: Brooklyn
2018 / Fellow in Fiction (residency), Lambda Literary Foundation
Artist talks
2024 / Artist talk, Hem, Sunday Sessions (Stockholm, SE)
2023 / Artist talk, A Home is a Portal, Östberga Kulturhus (Stockholm, SE)
2023 / Artist talk, A Home is a Portal, Körsbärsgården Konsthall (Burgsvik, SE)
2019 / Artist Talk, Roxy Times Square (New York City, US)
Select press
2024 / “Featured Artist: Ludi Leiva” Artists Responding To... Quarterly Magazine, edited by Polly Bates
2024 / “Ludi Leiva’s A Home is a Portal” The One Club for Creativity, written by Alixandra Rutnik
2023 / “Signs from the Underground, Home Invasion and Textile Bliss” C-Print Journal, written by Ashik & Koshik Zaman
2020 / "How Can Illustration Be Used as an Effective Tool for Activism?" Elephant Magazine, written by Ayla Angelos