Leila Davis is a ceramic artist based in Brisbane/ Meanjin. She lives and works on the beautiful, vibrant slopes of Mt Coot-Tha. Her family travelled widely, living in Iraq, the UK and Nigeria before settling in Australia. Consequently she grew up surrounded by massive Islamic paintings, vibrant Persian carpets, African sculptures and home-made Byzantine batiks. All this in 1970’s Brisbane which created a rich paradox of merged and mingling cultures, out of which her ceramic practice sprang. She trained at the Brisbane Institute of Art under Di Peach and Peter Biddulph, both well-known Australian ceramicists. Her vibrant sculptural works are inspired by a deep dive into Mesopotamian art and mythology, combined with modern abstractionism. In her work, the rich, magical and mysterious ancient world emerges in an unreal way. Cuneiform symbols sit alongside random splashes colour, forms grow by fractals, some are adorned with wings and flames, others textured and richly decorated using oxides and glaze. They are hand-built, or wheel- thrown and joined with multiple additions applied during the making process. Leila feels privileged to immerse herself in the vibrant and fascinating world of the ancient Middle East and to translate this into a unique contemporary ceramic practice. Her work can be found on Bluethumb Art, at The Brisbane Gallery and at Abode Cafe.