Bio

Leyla Fischer (b. Germany) is a self-taught painter whose work explores themes of identity, protection, and emotional tension. Raised between two distinct cultural and spiritual worlds — her Somali Muslim mother and German atheist father — Fischer’s practice reflects a lifelong negotiation of opposing forces.

Working primarily in oil on canvas, Fischer constructs layered, symbolic compositions that often center on animal figures as emotional and psychological mirror. Her paintings balance raw intimacy with compositional clarity, offering spaces where strength and vulnerability coexist. Drawing on personal experience while resisting overt narrative, her work invites viewers into moments of stillness, tension, and quiet transformation.

Fischer’s work has been exhibited in New York, Berlin, Miami, Los Angeles, and Milan, with upcoming shows planned in New York and Paris.

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