About – Leah Virsik

PHOTO: LAURA VAN DUREN

ARTIST STATEMENT
I use bits and parts of material no longer used for their original purpose. Through an act of unmaking, by my own hand or otherwise, the material I use is no longer a castoff, but speaks of potentiality and a remaking of the self. My works formally connect through repetition and the element of the line.

My use of everyday material, such as bedding, clothing and magazines, references domesticity and relationship. Using constraints of space, material or a predetermined rule, each work, built of multiple pieces, comes together to create a unified whole.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
S000–2022 common thread, (29 July–03 September) Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
0000–2021 to join, to connect, (30 July–04 September) Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
0000–2020 Above and Below, (31 July–05 September) Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
0000–2019 You are Supported More Than You Know, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
0000–2018 Pipe Dreams, City College Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
0000–2014 Remnants of Paris, Albany Community Center Foyer Art Gallery, Albany, CA
0000–2011 Hungry: The Book Art of Leah Virsik, Pacific Pinball Museum, Alameda, CA
0000–2010 Dichotomy, Kensington Library, Kensington, CA

SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS
0000–2023 Frayed Stories of Life (January 14–February 18) Arc Gallery & Studios, San Francisco, CA
0000–2022 In Tension, (February 5–March 12) Incline Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2019–2020 Truth/Dare/2020, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA19
0000–2019 Holiday Boutique featuring Feather River Art Camp Teachers and Students
0000–2016 Creative Framing & Gallery, Oakland, CA
0000–2016 Resonance PhotoCentral, Hayward, CA
0000–2016 Fiber as Metaphor Española Valley Fiber Arts Center (EVFAC) with galleryFritz, Santa Fe, NM
0000–2016 10th Annual Altered Book Exhibit and Fundraiser Marin MOCA, Novato, CA
0000–2018 Self-Portraits in the Age of Selfies Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
0000–2018 20/20 Vision, Mercury 20 Gallery Oakland, CA
0000–2017 Kintsugi: Healing Cracked Spaces PhotoCentral Gallery, Hayward, CA
0000–2016 SCRAP, Reclaimed: Elevating the Art of Reuse SF Arts Education Project Gallery
0000–2016 at the Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA
0000–2016 Meaning in Making MFA Exhibition, Fine Arts Gallery at San Francisco State, San Francisco, CA
0000–2015 The Annual Murphy & Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition
0000–2015 SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA
0000–2014 SF State Stillwell Student Showcase Fine Arts Gallery at San Francisco State, San Francisco, CA
0000–2014 Kala Artists’ Annual Kala Gallery, Berkeley, CA
0000–2014 In Other Words PopUp Gallery at Autobody Fine Art, Alameda, CA
0000–2014 Unique Surfaces–A Collage Gary Francis Fine Art, Alameda, CA
0000–2013 20th Annual Alameda Women Artists Group Exhibit Alameda Museum, Alameda, CA
0000–2013 The Art of Giving Art Gary Francis Fine Art, Alameda, CA
0000–2013 Inspiration: Richmond Art Center Faculty Exhibition Richmond, CA
0000–2013 20th Annual Alameda Women Artists Group Exhibit Alameda, CA
0000–2013 RISK Berkeley Art Center Berkeley, CA, jurors: Apsara DiQuinzio & Kimberly Johansson
0000–2013 Narrative Threads Abecedarian Gallery Denver, CO
0000–2013 Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios
0000–2013 4th Annual Altered Book and Book Arts Show Marin MOCA, Novato, CA
0000–2013 All Types: Text & Type-Based Art Redux Studios & Gallery Alameda, CA
0000–2012 Plenty The Gallery at Fibre Arts Design Palo Alto, CA
0000–2012 Pro Arts Box Art Benefit Auction Pro Arts Oakland, CA
0000–2012 Convergence & Divergence: Two Artists Look at Memories with Deborah Griffin,
0000–2012 Ken Cook Gallery at the Sun Gallery Hayward, CA
0000–2012 The Elephant in the Room CK Gallery Oakland, CA
0000–2012 Bay Area Women Artists O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA, juror: Donna Seager
0000–2012 A Thread Runs Through It Sun Gallery Hayward, CA
0000–2012 Discardia CK Gallery Oakland, CA
0000–2012 Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios
0000–2012 A Sense of Place CK Gallery Oakland, CA
0000–2012 Influence: Art Can Change the World CK Gallery Oakland, CA
0000–2011 Pro Arts Box Art Benefit Auction Pro Arts Oakland, CA
0000–2011 34th Area Artists' Annual Juried Exhibit Adobe Art Gallery Castro Valley, CA,
0000–2011 juror: Jacqueline Cooper, Merit Award for Snack
0000–2011 Bibliophoria II Sebastopol Center for the Arts
0000–2011 Art House Co-op Sketchbook Project
0000–2011 Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios Oakland, CA
0000–2010 17th Annual Alameda Women Artists Group Exhibit Alameda, CA
0000–2010 Artists Engaged LIFE: Expressions of Living Past & Present Castro Valley, CA
0000–2010 Pro Arts Box Art Benefit Auction Pro Arts Oakland, CA
0000–2010 Bay Area Book Arts Jam Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, CA
0000–2010 Bay Area Women Artists O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA, juror: Donna Seager
0000–2010 Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios
0000–2010 BLAGE Collage and Assemblage O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA
0000–2009 Pro Arts Box Art Benefit Auction Pro Arts Oakland, CA
0000–2009 Alameda Women Artists Group Show, Alameda Museum, Alameda, CA
0000–2009 Bay Area Book Arts Jam Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, CA
0000–2009 Cross Currents IAA, Alameda Free Library, Alameda, CA
0000–2009 The Canvas Project Vol. 2 Art House Co-op, Atlanta Airport, Atlanta, GA
0000–2009 Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios Oakland, CA
0000–2009 Alameda on Camera Frank Bette Center for the Arts Alameda, CA
0000–2009 Renew Alameda Women Artists Alameda Free Library, Alameda, CA
0000–2008 A Visual Word Alameda Women Artists Alameda Free Library, Alameda, CA
0000–2008 Alameda on Camera Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA
0000–2008 Vision & Revision Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA
0000–2007 Alameda Literati Book Fair, Alameda, CA
0000–2007 Reading Between the Lines Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA
0000–2007 Patterns, Portions and Pieces Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA