Leigh Brooklyn Biography

Leigh Brooklyn was born outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Brooklyn enrolled into the Columbus College of Art and Design. Later she transferred to The Cleveland Institute of Art after being inspired by the work of forensic artists who helped in a missing-person’s case. There she earned her degree in Biomedical Illustration. Brooklyn worked with several hospitals, museums, and research facilities including the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, The Cleveland Botanical Gardens, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and Case Western Reserve University.

After the Cleveland Institute of Art Brooklyn moved throughout the country gaining artistic inspiration from various individuals she met through her street photography. After hearing all the incredible stories of those she encountered and drawing from her own personal experiences Brooklyn decided to switch her work’s focus back to her roots of figurative drawing and oil painting creating portraits from her many subjects in the downtown Los Angeles area. 

After returning back to Ohio, Brooklyn understudied a nationally acclaimed figurative sculptor where she learned techniques for creating large scale sculptures out of oil-based clay to be cast in bronze. That same year Brooklyn began taking welding courses for use in her sculptural work. She learned SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, FCAW, plasma and oxyfuel cutting eventually earning her lifetime certification in 3G GMAW welding. She later went on to do an apprenticeship in stone carving, where she learned classical European stone carving techniques under the guidance of a British carver. 

Brooklyn has won a variety of awards for her art since her early teens. She recently won the American Illustration AI-AP 40 & 42 Award placing her work among the top illustrators and artists in the country. Her work has been displayed in galleries, museums, and art fairs around the country including Scope, The LA Art Show, Art Market Hamptons, The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Makeshift Museum in Los Angeles, The Medici Museum of Art in Ohio, The Mansfield Art Center in Ohio, the U.S. Capitol Building and Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C., The Alliance and Lichtundfire Galleries in New York, and the Diane von Furstenberg Studio amongst others. She is currently represented by Art Unified in Los Angeles, D. Colabella Fine Art Gallery in Connecticut, Virgil Catherine Gallery in Chicago, IL, and District Gallery in Cleveland, OH. She plans to further expand her artistic and humanitarian endeavors in the local, national, and international community.