Leyla Pooya Khan

Graduate Diploma 24/25

"Lost Letters." Acrylic Paint on 380g Stretched canvas 36 x 61in — My practice entails visual layering techniques incorporating calligraphy, calligraphic mark-making, and print. They are sometimes used together to create multi-layered visual dialogues that permute time and space. As a point of inquiry, I seek to understand how the presence and placement of letters and forms connect with an Audience and help them visualise the state of urgency. The works confront the uncomfortable narratives surrounding politics, power, and human displacement, revealed through the juxtaposition of marks and letters. These letters are of South Asian and Middle Eastern origin and are an acknowledgement of my identity coming from that region. Its use within this body of work is a conscious attempt to humanise and bring forth the stories of these communities, affirming their inherent right to thrive.

"Erasure." Acrylic Paint and Indian Ink on Stretched canvas 36 in x 61in — Vibrant yellows affirm an intangible presence—an enduring witness. The scattered variations of letters in black stretched beyond distortion, are evidence of the political colonisation within the region, superimposed by the opaque . The price of peace through a systematic erasure of context.

"Lost Dreams." Acrylic Paint 380g stretched canvas 36 x 61in — The layers of interrupted dreams are silenced even in the realm of dreams, where visualisation begins to fade away. Here, the letters and strokes have tonal variations, mirroring the complex internalisation of experience from an external context. The tonal contaminations, drips and vivid abstractions mirror an internal world in limbo.

"Spirit Of Resilience." 23.6 x 15.7 in. Lino Print on mounting card. — This mixed-media print speaks profoundly to themes of cultural erasure and the enduring strength of family bonds. The composition is layered and evocative, composed of three distinct yet interconnected elements. At the top, sweeping brown lines evoke the idea of erased or fading text, perhaps alluding to lost histories, languages, or cultural narratives. The red vertical marks punctuate this space like wounds or silenced voices—bold, deliberate, and resisting disappearance. The middle section, rendered in fragmented blue blocks, depicts abstracted architectural and natural forms. These ghostly outlines suggest a disrupted or fading environment, where cultural identity and memory are being fragmented or overwritten. The repeated impressions and imperfect registration hint at displacement, distortion, and the struggle to preserve meaning in the face of loss. Anchoring the work is a vivid, warm-toned depiction of a family huddled together. Printed in deep reds and browns, with glowing golden faces, this group radiates emotional warmth and unity. They sit closely, surrounded by curved lines and draped shapes that form a kind of protective cocoon—a symbolic hearth amid erasure. Their presence asserts that, even in the face of cultural violence or historical suppression, family remains a site of resilience, memory, and survival. This piece is a poignant visual metaphor for survival in the aftermath of cultural disintegration—a tribute to those who continue to hold each other close and protect what remains, even when everything else fades.

About

Leyla seeks to bring forth what is overlooked, offering viewers a space to stop and reflect. She is a multidisciplinary artist whose works can be seen as deeply spiritual, drawing inspiration from her upbringing in Pakistan and Iran.

Her experience in the fields of teaching and psychotherapy drives her passion to explore the worlds between inner experiences and existing realities. Her ongoing process is fluid and instinctive, incorporating techniques such as mark-making, mixed media, printmaking, and watercolor. Her practice explores the emotional resonance of color, texture, and gesture. Leyla’s recent works, related to Middle Eastern calligraphic script, in which the written form serves as a vessel for themes of displacement, urgency, crisis, and identity, are inspired by her shared cultural heritage. These paintings interrogate the complexities of the contemporary human experience across borders and cultures.

She has previously exhibited in Dubai at the International Financial Centre, Art Fusion, 2023, and in London at the O2 Centre, Untitled Gallery, in 2023.

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