Light Inside

Leslie Graff

acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 inches

Made possible by a grant from the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts, Art for Uncertain Times

This is the covenant opportunity we engage in to bear one another’s burdens and bear the name of christ…

I wanted to create a piece that spoke to the reality of the experiences people and difficult emotions people are living through, while also honoring human resilience. To show both darkness and light. We know in art, light has power when it is contrasted with dark.  We can build meaning, find strength and even flourish in times of extreme trial.

An apartment building is fitting, not only because we have been confined to our homes, but also as a visual metaphor for a multiplicity of human narratives. I specifically did not add details to the interiors to allow  the viewer to imagine many variants of lives going on behind those windows. What are the dimensions of struggle, pain, grief, or loss they may be experiencing? 

 I am fascinated by typologies, variations on a theme. I love the way that can can simultaneously represent our similarity and diversity, honoring the individual’s uniqueness while showing our connectedness. I have seen truths, strengths emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and as well as the movement for greater social justice. As we have come through this difficult season, it has stripped off some of the unnecessary things that have come to distract us. It has brought a more deliberate evaluation of our society and our lives. It has brought generosity, caring, sacrifice, hope, connection. It has brought unity, voice, and change in powerful ways.

I hope this piece will help others look for and create light in darkness. I hope it will be an invitation for empathy. To encourage us to think about the experiences of others around us and how we can help them, honor them and sustain them. This is the covenant opportunity we engage in to bear one another’s burdens and bear the name of Christ. —Leslie Graff, 2020.

Leslie Graff

holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from Brigham Young University. She spends her time working in acrylics and mixed media. While exploring a variety of series, her work is unified by a shared theme-- the complexity of human experience. It explores identity, relationships, connection, influence, and specifically the intangibles of thought and emotion. She is fascinated by personal narratives, interactions within culture, and the intimacy of the mind. She is most known for her domestic series and explorations of women. A bold palette, cumulated elements, and use of discrete color characterize her pieces. She draws inspiration from art nouveau, and midcentury illustration and is influenced by artists Gustav Klimt, Hans Hofmann, Wayne Thiebaud, and Coby Whitmore.  Her work has been exhibited in group and solo shows across the country, including ten museums and is regularly seen universities, and galleries. Her work is held in many private collections. Her work has been featured in books and magazines, including a profile on Forbes.com, her work has been reviewed in the Boston Globe, and featured on Inquiry on NPR. Leslie is currently on the faculty at the Danforth Art Museum School. She has taught creative arts in California, Utah, Massachusetts, and Virginia and lectures frequently. She is active in humanitarian work and is passionate about building opportunity for others.  She lives in Sutton, MA with her husband and three sons.

You can find more of her at lesliegraff.com or @lesliegraffart.