About Scottish Figurative Artist, Leah Davis

Leah Davis (b.1986 Thurso, Scotland)

MA Fine Art - with Merit (2022)

BA Contemporary Art - First Class (2020)

Works from her studio in Lossiemouth, Scotland

Image credit: Frank Neufeld

Leah Davis is a Scottish figurative painter known for her oil portraits that explore the spaces between memory, emotion, and the subconscious.  Her work is distinguished by its quiet intensity, often surreal, yet rooted in a deep curiosity about what lies beneath the surface of our everyday selves.

Growing up in Thurso, the northernmost town on the Scottish mainland, Davis often felt out of place. That early sense of otherness shaped her way of seeing and continues to inform her exploration of identity and the self. Her paintings frequently feature solitary figures, caught in moments of inward reflection, balancing the push and pull between their inner world and the outer one. It’s in this space between that she finds much of her inspiration.

Themes like transformation, vulnerability, and empowerment run through her work. Motifs such as clown ruffles and bowties appear often—nods to the trickster archetype and to her grandmother, whose fascination with clowns sparked a lasting influence. That same grandmother also inspired Davis’s interest in folklore, witchcraft, and the feminine divine, threads that continue to inspire her evolving visual language.

Her paintings offer viewers a space for pause and reflection. By drawing from both deeply personal influences and universal archetypes, Davis creates work that feels both intimate and resonant, an invitation to look inward.

As Davis evolves as an artist, she is expanding her practice to include works that evoke the texture and scale of tapestries. This new direction combines painting with textile-inspired mixed media, allowing her to blend personal mythology and collective histories in a more tactile, immersive way.

Davis’s distinctive voice has resonated with audiences worldwide, with exhibitions spanning from the Highlands of Scotland to Santa Fe. She was named runner-up in the 2023 Highland Art Prize and holds degrees in both Contemporary and Fine Art. Her paintings continue to draw collectors and kindred spirits alike.