Hugh Leeman is a self taught, San Francisco based artist. His gallery work has been exhibited in New York, San Francisco and at The Museum of Mexico City. Recognized for his gallery portraiture which captures in raw emotion the lives of his subjects whom he meets on the inner city streets. Though best known for his street art which has adorned walls from Varanasi, India to Indiana and from New York, London, and the divided Palestinian Territories to Bogota, Colombia. Most recently Leeman created the first ever MLK mural overlooking his historic birth house. His subjects, often marginalized by society, are recast into potentially heroic roles before adorning walls the world over. His street art has additionally evolved into the "t-shirt project" in which he gives back to his subjects by printing his art onto shirts which they sell and keep 100% of the profits from. 

 

 

I draw and paint marginalized inner city residents. I turn these drawings and paintings into images which I print onto t-shirts and murals. The shirts are given to the very people who have posed. They sell the shirt baring their own likeness and keep 100%of the profits. The project is subsidized through my site hughleeman.com where you can get your own shirt and be a part of the project. In the end the project acts as a real life Facebook. Introducing people who otherwise unlikely to meet can now not only know of one another, but be included in a project and possess a wearable part of it. The t-shirt and corresponding murals in turn act as an advertisement for the very project they were created from. Introducing not just people to one another but an entire micro economy based on the artwork, driven by all who pose, and funded by virtually anyone.