Southsea Zoo:
Animal Magic

Leila is known for surprising Portsmouth’s residents with her endearing anthropomorphic characters on their walls and clothes. We love them!

We asked the artist…

What inspires you?
I am inspired by the community around me. The Portsmouth art scene has flourished in the last 10-15 years – we’ve got some amazing creative people in this city and I’ve been a part of some great projects with some of them. Being a part of these collaborations and ideas has spurred me on to create work in the style I’m using now.

What materials do you generally use?
Over the years I’ve tried loads of different pens but settled on Staedtler Fineliners. I like the quality of line I can get from them – dark solid black as well as a scratchy textured line.

What has been your favourite project to work on so far?
My favourite project to date was painting a mural at Southsea Coffee Company in 2014. When they first opened they had original artwork on rotation in the snug room at the back of the café.
My ‘King Of The Jungle’ Lion was only up for a couple weeks but it’s one of those pieces that sticks with you. It was one of the first large pieces I had done, it was majestic.

What are you currently working on?
I’ve recently produced some screen-printed t-shirts with my ‘Party Panda’ piece on. They were printed by the awesome guys at Sea Dog Print Studio and they’re available to buy from my online shop.
Currently I’m working on Christmas presents for friends and family and in the new year I’m hoping to produce some new kids t-shirts, and to redo my website.

Where can we find more of your work?
You can find my most up-to-date work on my Facebook page facebook.com/mynameisleila.co.uk, and I’m on Instagram as @SouthseaZoo.
I also have an online shop selling my t-shirts and stickers: mynameisleila.bigcartel.com.