Hugh Leeman

Living in the Caribbean at a young age amongst the beauty of the people, language, and culture, I thought I would live there the rest of my life. However, after I started working at a Spanish tapas bar, I began meeting people from all over the world whose stories set alight a passionate curiosity in me. These stories set me afoot on a multi-year journey around the world, working any job that I could find along the way. Years later, I arrived in San Francisco for what I thought would be a layover. I fell in love with the city and taught myself to paint. Fifteen years later, I’m still here, making art. In addition to painting, I’ve collaborated on projects with the homeless in San Francisco and teamed up with a Bay Area non-profit that brings clean water projects to the indigenous Aeta Tribe of the Philippines. I am fortunate to have shown my artworks at the de Young Museum, the Museum of Mexico City, and the Arlington Contemporary Art Center, as well as having my artwork and projects published in The Outlaw Bible of American Art.

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