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Born in Hong Kong, Alexandra Leese creates timely and compelling visual narratives that draw on her cultural background, and her acute sense of color and composition. Leese trained at Chelsea College of Art and London College of Fashion, interning with photographer and film maker Wing Shya. Leese’s Boys of Hong Kong book (2018) and exhibition installation - most recently shown at FOAM, Amsterdam - visually chronicles her reconnection with her Chinese childhood, and the dynamic of the female gaze through her examination of masculinity in contemporary China. Yumi and The Moon is an internationally-coveted zine that Leese self-published in 2019, reimagining the folkloric Japanese story of Kayuga Hime, the ‘Moon Princess’. Leese’s commissioned work is gaining momentum, and she has recently worked with brands including Asai, Marc Jacobs, Helmut Lang, MCQ, i-D and Self Service.
In what ways does nature inspire or inform your work?
A lot of my work is about the human condition. Humans are not separate from nature but part of the intricate and complex system that exists on this planet. it’s inseparable to us and our existence, so in that sense it’s part of everything I do.
What does it mean to you to be part of a thriving ecosystem?
Even though we hold a lot of power as humans, we are still just one aspect of the world’s ecosystem, I try to remember to stay humble, and recognize this truth. It’s our responsibility to work together with nature to keep the ecosystem ‘thriving’.
