"Our Weapon Is Love," December 2022, Tehran, Iran.
CURRENTLY
"An artist must never be a prisoner. Prisoner? An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success, etc." Henri Matisse
"How to Talk with An Steam of a Rose Flower," PIQUE Festival 2021, Seattle.
I'm Leila Ghasempor—a Kurdish-Iranian interdisciplinary sustainable artist, curator, community educator, and creative director devoted to exploring collective thought, empathy, sustainability, and the power of art to bring people together. I hold an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA in Sculpture with a Minor in Art History from the University of South Dakota.
My interdisciplinary art practice, Our Weapon Is Love (founded in 2022), explores collective consciousness, shared responsibility, and human interconnectedness. Rooted in lived experience and academic inquiry, my work examines love, hope, pain, displacement, and the ongoing relationship between ethics and politics. I approach art as a communal act that invites presence, reflection, and participation. Through socially engaged art, performance, cine-dance, social sculpture, installation, and community collaboration, I explore sustainability, empathy, belonging, and the transformative potential of collective creativity. Central to my practice is the belief that love is not passive, but an active and radical force—both the method and the message.
In 2024, I founded People Around Us, a multimedia platform dedicated to supporting artists through artist interviews, curating exhibitions, workshops, after-school art programs, and community engagement. By documenting artists' journeys and creating opportunities for collaboration, I celebrate the people behind the artwork while fostering meaningful connections across cultures, generations, and communities.
Through Croknitting by Leila, I celebrate the joy of handmade creation and the traditions of crochet and knitting as pathways to creativity, mindfulness, sustainability, and human connection. I believe that making something by hand nurtures patience, confidence, and a deeper appreciation for both craft and community.
As Workshop Chair at FabMo, and a teaching artist, I collaborate with museums, libraries, schools, and community organizations to design inclusive, sustainable art programs for children, teens, adults, seniors, and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Across every aspect of my work, I believe creativity flourishes when people come together with curiosity, compassion, and a shared sense of responsibility and meaningful human connection.