Ludi Leiva (b. Canada, 1990)

Ludi is a visual artist with roots in Guatemala and Slovakia. After years working in writing and illustration, Ludi is now focused on expanding her drawing and painting practices. Her primarily abstract figurative paintings and works on paper construct dreamlike atmospheres that invite contemplation of place, ritual, identity, and the in-between. She is currently also finalizing a manuscript of her book, A Home is a Portal.

Ludi received an MFA from Konstfack University in Stockholm in 2023. She has been awarded grants from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee, Konstfacks Foundation, and the City of Stockholm, among others, and exhibited her work internationally, including in London, Berlin, New York City, and Chicago. She currently lives and works in Stockholm. 

Contact

Instagram: @ludileiva
Email: ludi[at]ludileiva.com






CV
Solo exhibitions 

2023 / Kairos, Samsen Atelier, Stockholm, SE
2023 / A Home is a Portal, Körsbärsgården Konsthall, Burgsvik, SE

Select group exhibitions

2024 / The Collective II, Visionary Projects, New York City, US (upcoming 10.2024)
2024 / Mine, Yours, Ours, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, US
2024 / Transcending Time, The Arts Society, Nerja, ES
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 & Awards

2024 / One year working grant, The Swedish Writers' Fund
2024 / Longlisted, World Illustration Awards
2024 / One year working grant, The Swedish Arts Grants Committee
2024 / Studio grant, City of Stockholm
2023 / Shortlisted, Ung Svensk Form (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
2020 / Grant, Choose Democracy

Residencies & other achievements

2024 / Shortlisted, Villa Lena Foundation Residency
2022 / Jury, Young Guns 20, The One Club for Creativity
2018 / Illustrator in Residence, The Other Art Fair: Brooklyn
2018 / Fellow in Fiction (residency), Lambda Literary Foundation


Education

2023 / MFA / Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts & Design / Stockholm, Sweden
2018 / Continuing studies / Pratt Institute / Brooklyn, NY, USA
2013 / BA / University of British Columbia / Vancouver, BC, Canada

Projects & teaching

2023 / A Home is a Portal (creator) / exhibited in full or part at: Körsbärsgården Konsthall (SE), National Museum of Somalia (SO), PTM Contemporary (US), The Arts Society (ES), Women Made Gallery (US), Östberga Kulturhus (SE) and Konstfack University (SE). Recipient of grants from: The Swedish Authors’ Fund, The National Association of Swedish Art Societies, Beata Brummers Foundation, Ulla Fröberg-Cramérs Foundation, and Konstfacks Foundation and shortlisted for Ung Svensk Form (Swedish Design Award)

2020 / Miraculous Futures (co-creator/presenter) / presented at Fontys Academy of the Arts (2020) Next Festival for Emerging Artists (2020) and Nederlands Film Festival (2019)

2017 / Neurospeculative Afrofeminism (contributing artist) / premiered at Sundance International Film Festival and also shown at SXSW, Tribeca Film Fest (Jury Honorable Mention), Gray Area Art & Technology Festival, Primer Speculative Futures Conference, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and New Inc: Versions Festival, among others

Select press

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