ABOUT THE ARTIST
Name, and company name:
Ciara LeRoy a.k.a “Pretty Strange”
Type of art you create and medium used:
Lettering art - acrylic paint, embroidery floss, misc. fibers, recycled and reclaimed fabrics
What inspires you and your designs?
Lettering art - acrylic paint, embroidery floss, misc. fibers, recycled and reclaimed fabrics
To date, what was one of your favorite projects you worked on and why?
I recently made an embroidery piece about the cycle of outrage, inspired by the attention the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor have received. As a Black woman, I have lived and witnessed oppression my entire life, and the short spurts of outrage over high profile murders is frustrating, especially when it never yields meaningful change, and everyone moves on to the next piece of news.
I embroidered this piece, first out of rage, and then as I stitched each word, that rage turned into hope that things would be different this time, and that the act of me using my art to point out the cycle would break the cycle and yield meaningful change.
Can you describe your process?
First I have to decide what I want to say or what feelings I want to evoke in the viewer of the work. What messages do I want to send today? How do I want people to feel when they pick up this piece or see it on a wall?
Then I do some sketching, refining, and I transfer the design onto whatever surface I’m working on. Then I embroider or paint the design.
How long does it take you to create a custom piece?
Every piece is so different, so it is hard to say! But on average, I spend a day or two on a custom piece. This time included concept creation, layout, and execution of design. t.
Has living in Kentucky influenced your art or style in any way?
Kentucky hasn’t influenced my style, but it influences content sometimes. There are a lot of unique social issues in Kentucky that I like to call attention to, like the pitfalls of Southern pride, and the horse racing industry.
Who is your artist/style icon?
My main art icon is Jenny Holzer. Her main medium is language and she uses her art to send important, timely, and challenging messages to society.
And a personal fun question: What are you listening to/reading/watching these days?
Podcasts: “Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet”, “Missing in Alaska”, “Guru”, “Best Friends (with Nicole Byer & Sasheer Zamata)”, “Why Won’t You Date Me?”, “Too Beautiful to Live”.
Music: Anderson .Paak, Francis and the Lights, Solange, Janelle Monae, Christine and the Queens, SZA, Dua Lipa
TV: Crazy Delicious, Breaking Bad, I May Destroy You, Chopped, 90 Day Fiancé
Books: Best American Food Writing 2019
Go check out her amazing work at: