Darling Graham
Darling, alias Leda Montereali (born in Rome, Italy in 1971) is a Canadian artist currently living between Canada and the United States. Leda is best known for her outstanding career in fashion photography as part of the duo Leda & St. Jacques. She loves Saint Laurent, Hermès, Chanel, and when she's feeling existentialist, Loro Piana.
Leda who grew up in Rome, was surrounded by fountains, churches, and paintings of naked angels, and studied at the Liceo Artistico via Ripetta. At 19, she moved to Canada, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in visual arts and photography from the University of Ottawa—a capital city with eternal winters. After graduating, she relocated to Montreal, where her artistic vision and talent quickly opened doors in the fashion world, establishing her as one of Canada’s top fashion photographers in publishing and advertising
Unexpectedly, a love match blossomed into a new chapter in Leda’s life as an artist. Though she had always been a romantic and independent woman, Leda fell so deeply in love with her now-husband Richard that she left everything in Montreal to move to the United States and start fresh. Her new priorities and mantra became: 'My passionate love, my cat, and millions of laughs in this life that is far too short.'
Once settled, Leda began a visual personal journal, of daily joyful reflections on her multifaceted identity. She explores what it means to be a woman in today’s world, questioning her roles as a lover, wife, former careerist, and artist. Leda asks herself, 'What does my cat really think about me? Why is my life so chaotic? Can I be all these things at once? Should I simply zip it? … But I can’t!'"
Her paintings vividly reflect these ideas, portraying an ageless woman with oversized lips always wearing her favorite lipstick, sleek bleached hair, and a strikingly beautiful physique. Through her artistry, Leda plays with stereotypes and preconceived notions about power, pop culture, art history, money, love and identity.
Our protagonist always keeps her eyes closed, believing that the eyes are the mirror of the soul.
“And my soul is to remain mine alone,” Leda says. Sometimes her cat is by her side, serving as her companion and favorite witness to countless laughs and tears. With humor, she reveals her certainties and uncertainties, her strengths and weaknesses, as well as her dreams and fears.
All the paintings are titled with Leda's witty vision on life. Each is a unique edition, signed and printed in a large format on canvas.
Leda uses mixed media—pencil drawing, photography, and digital painting—all rendered in soft pastel colors with a mix of patterns and prints, to achieve a vibrant and quirky portrait of a modern, strong woman.
“I hope you will enjoy each painting as much as I did,” Leda shares, “and I hope you will laugh with me, because life is too short.”
Kisses,
Darling
