A Personal Archive

Not a curated portfolio. Art, design, and everything in between.

BROWSE ARCHIVE
Leah Cortez smiling warmly at the camera, seated in a softly lit studio with art supplies and colorful paintings in the background, conveying a welcoming and creative atmosphere

About the Artist

I'm Leah Cortez, a Chicana artist and designer from Corpus Christi, South Texas. I make work about identity, religion, and the uncomfortable across graphic design, printmaking, illustration, and mixed media. This site is my archive.

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Recent Addition

The Unholy Gaze - Aquatint etching exploring how religion frames women as unholy lace border

The Unholy Gaze

Aquatint Etching • 2025

Unholy Gaze is about how religion often frames women as unholy—something to be watched, judged, and controlled. Through aquatint textures and stark contrast, the work emphasizes vulnerability and power imbalance, confronting the way religious structures reduce women to symbols of virtue or corruption.

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Recognition

"Leah's work throughout the semester was consistently excellent—thoughtful, well-executed, and beautifully presented. I especially admired how she incorporated her Hispanic roots and Catholic symbolism into her color choices and visual storytelling. Her projects demonstrate both strong technical skill and a compelling artistic voice."

— Joe Peña, Professor of Art, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi

"Leah's sketching and digital iteration process stood out as both rare and valuable. She develops strong visual concepts through thoughtful critique and refinement, resulting in work that is not only well-executed but intellectually grounded and emotionally resonant."

— David Shields, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi

"Leah demonstrates a rare balance of artistic talent and creative foresight. She applies foundational design principles across mediums with confidence, crafting work that shows a strong sense of form, space, and audience. Her projects reflect a designer capable of building thoughtful and engaging visual experiences."

— Ian Manseau, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi

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