About Me

A Providence, Rhode Island native Leiyana Simone is a visual artist with a focus on portraiture of subjects of color in her community that represents the diverse culture. Her images aim to create positive representation to people of color through capturing their natural beauty on medium format film. Her photographs have been exhibited at the WaterFire Arts Center, in RISD Museum’s Black Biennial, the Providence Art Club, and published in Vogue Italia via Photo Vogue. 

Leiyana recently completed a year long artist development program through WaterFire Accelerate in 2024. While simultaneously participating in the first Emerging Artist Fellowship at AS220 graduating in 2024. Most notably,  awarded the Interlace Project Grant through the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in 2023. Along side the RISCA Make Art Grant in 2024 to produce her first photo-series “GOD’S PROVIDENCE”. Releasing later this year in 2025, her first solo exhibition will be at AS220’s Aborn Gallery on November 1, 2025. 

Aside from photography, her visual artistry has expanded into a deep appreciation for ceramics. After taking a hand-building course at the Steel Yard in the summer of 2024, she is continuing to develop her skills at The Steel Yard in a wheel-throwing course this summer. She has also started collaging using her own imagery in 2023 and creating drawings such as her recently shared “Map of Providence”.

Leiyana has been recognized for her work as an event curator in the past 2 years throughout Rhode Island. Most recently co-curating an Artist led panel entitled “Living as an Artist in a Capitalist System held at the Providence Public Library. She is consistently working on creating accessible public programming through her brand Club SOL, established in 2024. Her first event being a celebration of the first day of summer and a free artists’s net working night. Her mission continues to be to create intentional events that center around community, connection, and celebration.