CASSIDY VAN LEEUWEN "Golden Girl"

 42 x 42 inches

Acrylic gouache on paper

2025

I am fascinated by sunlight on skin, finding the colours in shadows, and the textures and patterns in daily life.

Through portraiture, I get to investigate my fleeting street infatuations and explore ordinary details that excite me — contemporary clothing, shifting light, the vibrancy of colour, and the expanse of the sky. I look to bring visual splendour to glimpses of urban surroundings that might otherwise go unnoticed. The calm, composed nature of my subjects is brought to life with bold marks and high-chroma choices. Working from photography, painting becomes a way to heighten these moments, and I want my paintings to communicate joy and celebrate that it is truly people who bring beauty to the world that surrounds us.

Cassidy is an artist and educator.