Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Leonardo Drew grew up in the projects of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Despite his mother’s discouragement, Drew’s creativity was evident from an early age, and was inspired by his immediate surroundings. To this day, his choice of raw materials such as wood, scrap metal, and cotton reflects his early memories, allowing space for discussions on societal injustice and evoking the cyclical nature of existence.

Leonardo began his artistic journey at a young age and publicly exhibited his work at the age of 13. He was initially scouted by DC and Marvel Comics, but the introduction of abstraction profoundly changed his career and artistic direction. He went on to attend the Parsons School of Design in New York and received his BFA from Cooper Union in 1985. In 1988, he created his seminal work, Number 8, which he believes began everything that followed.

Drew’s works have been exhibited internationally and are included in numerous public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; and Tate, London. Recently, his works have been acquired by The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.; Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, Connecticut; North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh; Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Bloomington, Indiana; and New Orleans Museum of Art, Louisiana, among others.

In The Cyclical Nature of Art episode of the Pearl Lam Podcast,  Pearl Lam delves deep into Leonardo’s remarkable artistic journey, exploring his evolution from early childhood creations to his breathtaking public art exhibitions. 

Visit Leonardo Drew’s website here.