Leiba Rustin is a mixed-media artist based in Montreal, having pursued fine arts studies at the University of California at Berkeley, and then receiving a BA-Fine Arts at Concordia University. Rustin’s deeply personal and evocative art has appeared in solo and group exhibitions in galleries in and around Montreal, and has been selected by the jury of the Stewart Hall Sales and Rental Gallery for inclusion in their curated collection on offer to the public at large. Leiba Rustin is an active participant in the lively gallery and open studio events at the dynamic Complexe du Canal Lachine, one of the most interesting and up-and-coming arts venues in Montreal.
My lifelong desire to create has led me to continually develop new ideas and experiment with new processes. My life serves as the basis of my work, from which I create scenes and vignettes full of deep familiarity and great significance to me. Each piece is personal in nature; it is this close emotional and spiritual relationship to my art that allows it to be filled with meaning. My work hinges on the notions of memory, place, and repetition found in everyday life. Some pieces depict urban streets dotted with headlights from cars, some works reveal the intimacy inherent in the interior of a loved one’s apartment, and others celebrate the transformative power of nature through images of trees and water. Often they are visual meditations based in images that capture my attention, created through a close personal connection to my subject while I work, whether it is a flower, a bird, or the human form. In whatever I create, I always strive to capture the spirit of the person, place, or subject on which the piece is based.
The aesthetic of my art stems from my intuitive and often experimental approach — a process that allows each piece to develop in its own way. I enjoy working with oil pastel on canvas, wood, or textured paper. Other media such as acrylic and ink are also essential to my process as they allow me to experiment further with colour and texture. I let my instinct guide me through my artistic process, often varying textures or by focusing on intricate detail or sweeping lines, as I work to bring vitality and life to my subject. Working with layers is at the heart of my method of: adding onto the piece then peeling back to expose what’s beneath, leaving remnants of the creation before continuing further.
Vivid and brooding colours, illumination and shadows, intimacy and shared experiences, it is through this visual and emotional complexity that viewers find a connection to my work. As I create art that is specific to my own world, I discover a universality that extends far beyond my own quiet observations, revealing an artistic vision that invites the viewer into my world as well as theirs.
My lifelong desire to create has led me to continually develop new ideas and experiment with new processes. My life serves as the basis of my work, from which I create scenes and vignettes full of deep familiarity and great significance to me. Each piece is personal in nature; it is this close emotional and spiritual relationship to my art that allows it to be filled with meaning. My work hinges on the notions of memory, place, and repetition found in everyday life. Some pieces depict urban streets dotted with headlights from cars, some works reveal the intimacy inherent in the interior of a loved one’s apartment, and others celebrate the transformative power of nature through images of trees and water. Often they are visual meditations based in images that capture my attention, created through a close personal connection to my subject while I work, whether it is a flower, a bird, or the human form. In whatever I create, I always strive to capture the spirit of the person, place, or subject on which the piece is based.
The aesthetic of my art stems from my intuitive and often experimental approach — a process that allows each piece to develop in its own way. I enjoy working with oil pastel on canvas, wood, or textured paper. Other media such as acrylic and ink are also essential to my process as they allow me to experiment further with colour and texture. I let my instinct guide me through my artistic process, often varying textures or by focusing on intricate detail or sweeping lines, as I work to bring vitality and life to my subject. Working with layers is at the heart of my method of: adding onto the piece then peeling back to expose what’s beneath, leaving remnants of the creation before continuing further.
Vivid and brooding colours, illumination and shadows, intimacy and shared experiences, it is through this visual and emotional complexity that viewers find a connection to my work. As I create art that is specific to my own world, I discover a universality that extends far beyond my own quiet observations, revealing an artistic vision that invites the viewer into my world as well as theirs.