Leyla Carleo (b. 1989, Venezuela) lives and works in San José. She holds a BA in Communication Studies from San Francisco State University. She creates illustrations and three-dimensional papier-mâché sculptures that explore her personal emotional journey and broader experiences of women of color dealing with love, politics, and career. Her art addresses social justice and community building, as a means of resistance and collective empowerment. Her practice stands at the intersection of personal narrative and social engagement, continually fostering dialogue around gender, identity, and societal change.
Photograph by Angelica Torres
CV
EDUCATION
San Francisco State University (SFSU)
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies
Shillington School of Design
Graphic Design
COMMISSIONS
2025
Affordable Housing Month 2025, digital illustration, SV@Home
Pro-immigration Poster Series, digital illustration, Yosimar Reyes
PRIETO, live performance poster, Yosimar Reyes
Latina Equal Pay Day 2025, papier-mâché art activation, Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley
2024
ROAM, short film poster, Doomed Generation Productions
Native American Heritage Month 2024, papier-mâché art installation, Foothill College
GROUP SHOWS/EXHIBITIONS
2025
Lunar 2025 — Year of the Snake, Lunar, Tea Lyfe, San José, CA
Universal Language, Tradición Peruana Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA
2024
Strange Love, pop-up exhibition, Academic Coffee, San José, CA
Lunar 2024 — Year of the Dragon, Lunar, Tea Lyfe, San José, CA
San José Day, Empire Seven Studios, San José, CA
Sailor Sweets, La Lune Sucrée, San José, CA
Celebrating Hayao Miyazaki, Empire Seven Studios, San José, CA
Goofy: An Exploration of Radical Softness, Teen Tech Center at MACLA, San José, CA
Friends of Friends, The Midway, San Francisco, CA
Orgullo, Cukui, San José, CA
Posted!, Noble Workshop & Gallery, San José, CA
2023
Martha Street: Creative Corner, pop-up exhibition, Empire Seven Studios, San José, CA