Leslie Adkins is an artist based in California, specifically living & working on Tongva Land also known as Topanga, which means “where the mountain meets the sea.”
About
Leslie Adkins is a mixed media artist and figurative painter, who investigates identity, symbology, heritage, and decolonization through painting. Much of her work involves painting with acrylics on canvas, linen, and reclaimed wood. With a focus on Black portraiture, abstracted natural world elements, and spiritual symbology, Leslie creates other-worldly images between the figure and their surroundings. Her work also expresses an intention to preserve the sacredness of Black innocence while celebrating Black identity through representation. Additionally, with pops of bright color layered on earthy, tonal elements, her pieces often soften the masculine and provoke the feminine, celebrating the fluidity of the genders.
Leslie DuBois-Adkins is a bi-racial artist based in Topanga Canyon, California, whose work primarily focuses on Black portraiture set within surreal, nature-infused environments. With a background in Art & Design from Columbia College Chicago, she has exhibited at notable institutions, including The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, where her work was featured in the Black Creativity Juried Exhibition. Known for pushing boundaries in both medium and message, Leslie DuBois-Adkins seeks to use her work as a bridge between personal identity and cultural heritage, offering viewers a fresh perspective on Black & Multicultural American identity in the modern world.
Leslie has showcased her work at prominent galleries and museums, including The Museum of Science & Industry (Chicago), LA Art Show (Los Angeles), The Modbo Gallery (Colorado Springs), and Viridian Gallery (New York).
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
2013
Columbia College Chicago, Art & Design Major
Arts, Entertainment, & Media Mgmt Minor
JURIED EXHIBITIONS
2024
Open Studios Tour
Topanga, CA
2023
Open Studios Tour
Topanga, CA
2023
Black Creativity
Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago, IL
2022
Studio Tour Show
Topanga Canyon Gallery, Topanga, CA
2022
Small Works Holiday Show
Topanga Canyon Gallery, Topanga, CA
JURIED COMPETITIONS
2021
Shortlisted: Women United ART PRIZE
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
Folk & Future
The 3100 Block Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2022
Heritage & Funk
Space Art + Supply, Topanga, CA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
Mythos
Artemis Studio, Topanga, CA
2024
Locals Group Show
Space Art + Supply, Topanga, CA
2024
California Dreaming
Dorado 806, Santa Monica, CA
2023
Wytches Art Show
Dorado 806, Santa Monica, CA
2023
RÊVE D'ÉTÉ
Artemis Studio, Los Angeles, CA
2023
LA Art Show
Art In Room, Los Angeles, CA
2023
Juntos
Space Art + Supply, Topanga, CA
2022
Natures: Reflections of Earth & Spirit
Sovern LA, Los Angeles, CA
2021
HERSTORY: Moving Forward
Viridian Artist Gallery, New York, NY
2021
A NIGHT FOR THE CULTURE, Juneteenth
ArtloudLA, Los Angeles, CA
2010
The Small Works Show
The Modbo Gallery, Colorado Springs, CO
