Biography

Leslie Rowland

Artist, Designer, Gallery Owner, Curator

I’ve been creating compulsively since she was a small child. My mother used to throw her hands up in futility when I chose my own palettes for paint by number projects, turning them into works of impressionism. My father would come home to find that I had adorned the driveway and sidewalk with colored chalk. When they took away the chalk, I fell back on much more permanent bark. The world was my canvas. Becoming an artist was not a conscious decision, rather a compulsory happening; art is what I think about while awake and what I dream about when I sleep. 

Much of my work focuses on ecological concepts condensing relatively complex scientific scenarios into single images. These works include butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators puzzled together with imagery of flowers from which they derive nectar and that they pollinate. Another ecological concept is presented in a series which depicts animals and how they benefit the ecosystems and humans. A new mandala series presents a focal subject like a flower or bird with species it interacts with forming a balanced image rep. resenting ecological connection.  

My work also focuses on technology. Our lives rely so much on technology and communicating with each other electronically. This is explored in paintings with positive messages in binary code such as "you are beautiful," “I love you,” “love lives here” and "Fuck it; let's dance."  Another technological series concentrates on music and presents sound waves from songs we can all relate to. I’ve painted sound waves based on Blondie, The Beatles, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Miles Davis, Lil Wayne, Fats Domino, The Stones, John Lennon and even monks chanting "OM."

I believe that art is a powerful form of communication, sometimes visceral and sometimes direct. The purpose of my work is to make the viewer feel connected, joyful, loved and enthused. Art has the potential to heal, enrich and enlighten. It’s my greatest ambition to create art that reaches you.

Throughout my career, I’ve had many solo shows and group exhibitions at home in the states and abroad. I’ve owned galleries in Las Vegas, NV and Asheville, I now own Gallery COR in Downtown Asheville’s gallery district. I had a wonderful gallery, L Rowland Fine Contemporary Art, in Asheville’s River Arts District, which was destroyed by the flood waters of Hurricane Helene. In response, I opened Joan Awake, a boutique gallery located on high ground in Asheville’s River Arts District, that represents a powerful group of women artist who were all impacted by Hurricane Helene.

My husband Wade and I moved to the vibrant arts community of Asheville, NC 12 years ago. In addition to an art filled life, I have a graduate degree in environmental science. My husband and I have a musical duo called F Double Star K, Wade plays guitar and harmonica and I sing. During our plethora of free time, we love to travel the world and spend time with our four rescued cats and 90 lb. rescued lab named Lou.