Collection: Leah Hicks

Leah Hicks, born in 1978, creates abstract, acrylic and multimedia canvases that celebrate the hard-won victory the artist has achieved since a devastating car accident. Catastrophe is a life-changing event, and Hicks has had to remodel herself.

Art is my constant partner, who can be intense and full of passion. In High School, my art teacher introduced me to painting and clay. I began showing paintings and clay sculptures in art exhibits. At Algonquin College, I learned about the elements of art in the Graphic Design program. In St. Lawrence College I refined my Life Drawing skills and took other painting classes.

In 2005 a catastrophic car accident turned my passion for art into my salvation. Traumatic injuries to all four lobes of my brain left me unable to Speak Clearly, suffered from Double Vision and Functional Limb Weakness. My amazing rehab team encouraged me not to give up on my passion. Over many years I renewed myself. I redeveloped basic human skills to challenge the plasticity of my brain. I learned to paint with my left hand instead of my previously dominant right hand.

Supported by many wonderful people, I persevered. I continue to challenge myself to create a multi-dimensional world on a two-dimensional stage in order to achieve depth and emotion in each piece. In 2011 I was invited to display my art in La Biennale Internazionale Dell'Arte Contemporanea in Florence, Italy. In March 2012 I received an Honorable Mention in the Marianne Van Silfhout Art Gallery at St. Lawrence College, for the painting ‘Shield’.

Was invited to showcase my art, September 2019 Chicago IL, USA for their Art Expo at the Fulton Street Collective. In 2018 I exhibited in the Signatures Show in Ottawa, 2016 I was accepted in the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, juried into the Ottawa Art Expo for three years, and into Ottawa’s La Petite Mort Gallery for one year. I have shown my works in many outdoor and indoor shows. I learned a great deal about the world of art during the six years I owned an art gallery. For three years, I have served as President for The Arts and Culture Council for Smiths Falls and District in Ontario. I have also taught art classes offering certificates in various mediums for 19 years.

My work is represented and seen throughout North America. The artwork has been heavily collected by the Federal Government of Canada as well as held in many private collections and many countries. Inspiring the mind, exploring the depths of the subconscious landscape.

-LH