Christina Leslie

Christina Leslie is a Canadian-Jamaican photographer living in Pickering, Canada. Her works focusses on depicting Black narratives, decolonization, and exploring West Indian heritage. Her work Sugar Coat uses sugar as part of the photographic process.[1]

Education

Leslie studied for a BFA at OCAD University in Toronto in 2006, and was awarded an MFA in 2022 by Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, USA.[2]

Photographic practice and works

Leslie was one of four contemporary artists whose work was curated in the 2010 exhibition, "Position As Desired /Exploring African Canadian Identity", at the Royal Ontario Museum, alongside 26 historical works spanning 1896 to 2008.[3]

For her project "Sugar Strapped/Sugar Coat" (2021), Leslie developed a photographic process which involves "specialized paper and sugar solution that becomes an emulsion lift", with the development process taking four days.[1][4][5]

Leslie curated and wrote introductory text for the McMaster School of the Arts graduate show in 2024.[6]

Her solo show, "Likkle Acts", was curated by Hannah Keating at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in 2025.[2]

She is a member of the all-woman photography group Silver Water Collective.[7]

References

1. Growcoot, Matt (2022-10-20). "Photos Made Out of Sugar Reveal Caribbean's Brutal History". PetaPixel. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
2. Farah (2024-11-19). "In Conversation with Christina Leslie - The Robert McLaughlin Gallery". Retrieved 2025-01-29.
3. "Position As Desired/Exploring African Canadian Identity: Photographs from the Wedge Collection | Royal Ontario Museum". www.rom.on.ca. 2010-09-15. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
4. Kail, Ellyn (2022-10-12). "In Photographs Made of Sugar, A Brutal History Revealed". Feature Shoot. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
5. "Christina Leslie". AINT—BAD. 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
6. Art, McMaster Museum of. "SUMMA 2024: Yearbook". McMaster Museum of Art. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
7. "CHRISTINA LESLIE". Exposure. Retrieved 2025-01-29.