Meet our SOFT illustrator: Leah McInnis

Each month, CreativeMornings has a different theme for the talks given at our local chapter events around the world. It is our tradition to work with an artist in our community to create an illustration for each monthly theme.

Our theme for October is SOFT. It was chosen by our Victoria chapter in British Columbia, Canada and illustrated by Leah McInnis.

Leah McInnis is a Canadian interdisciplinary artist, graphic designer, and post-secondary educator. She uses video, sculpture, and printed matter to create site-specific installations that invite viewer participation and interactivity. Drawing influence from cinema, literature, Dada and Fluxus art movements, and her friends/collaborators, Leah’s practice is always critical about play, and never ironic about sincerity.

Leah shared the following reflection on their/his/her illustration for this month’s theme: ​​

My illustration features graffiti style bubble letters animated into stuffed animals, also known as “plushies.” These visual references to street art and childhood toys imbue the illustration with a sense of playfulness and nostalgia, which is juxtaposed with the contemporary colour palette and style. I sought to interrogate softness as a mutable concept, thereby marking it as something complex and unfixed. Is soft only understood as the absence of sharp? Or can softness contain varying degrees of hardnesses within? The softness of a hard hug is not unlike the forest floor after a thunderstorm. I hope that my illustration brings a sense of nostalgic joy for all viewers.

Listen to how to pronounce Leah’s name.

You can see more of Leah’s work on her site and follow her on Instagram @leah__mcinnis.

Selected Works