The underlying inspiration for this piece was the history of the circus as the show Corteo is based so heavily on the traditional circus. Performers who worked in shows like these were of course historically marginalized and vulnerable people. This character has been always romanticized, but the history is a troubled one too. The viewer is able to read his sorrowful face and honor the strong and passionate lifestyle of a clown who is losing hold of his very profession, which has a very long and very complicated history. Clown paintings in themselves carry with them the unfortunate association of non-serious 'kitch' art, however my work is the exact opposite as it was created from very serious and unfortunate real life events – loss of work due to the global pandemic.

Leah Probst

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My work explores creative expression by combining figurative painting with texture, movement and experimentation of different mediums. Working mainly in acrylic and oil paint, I convey the meaning, story, and visual inspiration behind each work. I aim to capture the physical likeness and the uniqueness of the individual. I convey clarity and honesty to the portrait, inviting the viewer to appreciate the fundamentals of the subject. I reveal the individual, looking beyond the surface toward the human condition with empathy to the personal connection I have with each subject I paint. The evident slowness in my paintings acknowledge attention paid to the layering of information, built-up levels of paint, and a complexity of mixed colours which bring the paintings to life.