Artist CV
sunnyleeras.com | sunnyleeras@gmail.com
b. Bangkok, Thailand. Living and working in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Education
2019 MA in Arts Administration, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY
2016 BFA in Film, Photography & Visual Arts, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY
Solo and Two-Person Exhibitions
2024 “This is as far as I can take you”, Smack Mellon, Brooklyn, NY (Upcoming)
2023 “Naturalization”, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI
2019 “Carry Me Home”, Myers Gallery at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY
2017 “Towards Tenderness” a two-person exhibition with David Lurvey, Lubov (Projects), New York, NY
Group Exhibitions & Screenings
2021 “In Practice: You may go, but this will bring you back”, SculptureCenter, Long Island City, NY
2020 “Travel”, The Glasgow Gallery of Photography, Glasgow, Scotland
2020 Untitled Screening at Ayi Ayi x Uklon Event, (Pop-up space), Brooklyn, NY
2019 “On Reverse Commuting”, (Pop-up gallery), Brooklyn, NY
2018 “The Feeling Is Mutual”, Local Project Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2016 “Tell Us Where: Senior Exhibition Selected Work”, Handwerker Gallery, Ithaca, NY
2016 “Cinema Thesis Screening & Exhibition”, Roy H. Park School at Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY
2015 “Luncheon Special: Photography Exhibition”, (Pop-up gallery), Ithaca, NY
2015 “Substrate: Experimental Film Screening”, (Pop-up gallery), Ithaca, NY
Awards and Residencies
2024 Artists Alliance Inc. LES Studio Program Residency, New York, NY (Upcoming)
2023 Image Text Workshop, Artist-in-Residence, Ithaca, NY
2023 Center for Book Arts, Book Artist-in-Residence, New York, NY
2022 Fire Island Artist Residency, Artist-in-Residence, Fire Island, NY
2021 Queens Council on the Arts New Work Grant, Queens, NY
2019 Teachers College grant to attend the National Arts Education Association Conference, Boston, MA
2018 Rehearsal Residency, Artist-in-Residence, Amagansett, NY
2017 Columbia University Teachers College Scholarship, New York, NY
2016 Outstanding Senior Award in Film, Photography, and Visual Arts, Ithaca College, NY
2015 James B. Pendleton Production Grant for Photography, Ithaca College, NY
Publications (Print & Digital)
2023 Offerings (Work in progress)
2023 Untitled lesbian word match book, co-created with LA Warman (Work in progress)
2023 Untitled Fire Island book (Work in progress)
2021 “Magnetic” in digital publication the ee! Issue One. Artist Joshua Escobar writes a poem in response to the photobook Homes Against Tides (Featured Work)
2021 Chinatown Futures 2: Rituals/ Remembrance zine co-created with Jennifer Jin and Isabel Ling
2021 We Are Here: Visionaries of Color Transforming the Art World by Jasmin
Hernandez, published by Abrams Books. (Principal Photographer of 45+ portraits, studio, and artwork photography published in book)
2020 Mom’s Magnets, Self-published risograph print book
2020 Chinatown Futures zine co-created with Jennifer Jin and Isabel Ling
2020 i carrot about u: community cookbook by Fathom Library (Featured Work)
2018 Homes Against Tides, Self-published photobook
2017 From Maine, With Love, Self-published photobook
2015 I Wish I Didn’t Have to Go Home, Self-published photobook
2015 Zero Hour Zine Issue 2: Identity, Irony, Machismo (Featured Work)
2013 Dandelion Violent, Self-published digital zine, Creator and Editor
Book Fairs/ Collection
2022 Publication Mom’s Magnets included in the collection of Asia Art Archive in America (Brooklyn, NY)
2021 Publication Mom’s Magnets included in the collection of Fathom Library (Providence, RI)
2020 Publication Mom’s Magnets featured at Bangkok Art Book Fair (Bangkok, Thailand)
2019 Publication Homes Against Tides included in the collection of Fathom Library (Providence, RI)
Presentations/ Talks
2023 “Lesbian Narratives of Cherry Grove” by FIAR’s Fire Island Histories Project at Candice Madey Gallery, New York, NY. Presented with Ksenia D. Soboleva and AK Burns.
2022 “Let’s Talk About Photo Books” Panel at Soho Photo Gallery, New York, NY. Presented with Erica Reade, Cindy Trinh, Emily Sanchez, Nancy Scherl, and Melissa Breyer.
2022 Fire Island Artist Residency: Artist Talk, Cherry Grove Community House, Fire Island, NY
2022 Queer | Art’s Digital Book & Print Fair Show ‘N’ Tell (Virtual)
2021 Asian American Arts Alliance’s Town Hall: Presentation about Chinatown Futures (Virtual)
Select Press/ Bibliography
2023 “New Work at John Michael Kohler Arts Center Explores Xenophobia Through Lens of Invasive
Species”, Shepherd Express, October 11, 2023
2022 “Artist Awards Roundup”, ARTNews, July 14, 2022
2021 “Your Concise New York Art Guide for April 2021”, Hyperallergic, April 6, 2021
2021 “Jasmin Hernandez’s Debut Book Celebrates Diversity in the Art World”, Sotheby’s, March 29, 2021
2021 “In Practice: You may go but this will bring you back”, TheGuide.Art, March 26, 2021
2021 “See Inside a Beautiful New Coffee-Table Book Celebrating 50 Leading Artists and Curators of
Color”, Artnet, Feb 26, 2021
2021 “We Are Advocating for Us: A New Book Centers BIPOC Artists and Educators”, Hyperallergic, Feb 1, 2021
2021 “We Are Here - A New Book Celebrates a Diverse Art World”, Widewalls, Jan 28, 2021
2021 “Game-Changing Artists and Curators of Color Showcased in New Book”, ARTNews, Feb 2, 2021
2018 Emergency Index: An Annual Document of Performance Practice Vol. 8, May 2021
Writing
2019 “An Artist's Mission to Preserve New York City's History of Lesbian Nightlife”: An Interview with
Artist Gwen Shockey. (Hyperallergic, August 27, 2019)
©2024 SUNNY LEERASANTHANAH