BIO
Leah Creaven is a contemporary textile artist based in Whangamatā, New Zealand, known for her bold, rug-tufted artworks that bridge past and present landscapes. A graduate of the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), she draws inspiration from both the coastal environment of New Zealand and the urban and rural settings of Ireland, weaving together organic forms, abstracted lines, and expressive, unconventional colour palettes to explore memory, emotion, and place. Central to her practice is New Zealand wool, used not only as a material but as a storytelling medium that grounds her work in a tangible connection to the land. Her acclaimed Land Girl exhibition at Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History received strong critical attention, and she has won the Glenda Saunders Colour Award at the 2021 Wairarapa Art Review, with her practice also featured in publications including British Vogue and Home & Garden. Based in a vibrant Whangamatā studio, Leah also shares her process through workshops, fostering engagement with contemporary fibre and textile art.
