Chantal Lesley

I've spent so much money trying to look like you

Archival inkjet print

“Though my sister and I have similar facial features, we differ in skin tone and body structure. Ironically, we both feel the pressure to prove our Latinidad.

I, along with my siblings, are first-generation multicultural Americans. It has been hard to feel a sense of belonging or acceptance anywhere. I often question what makes up one's identity, and when several cultures are involved, is there one that dominates above the rest, or can they all live within someone harmoniously?”

— Chantal Lesley

About the artist

Chantal Lesley

Chantal Lesley (she/her) is a conceptual photographer living and working in Austin, TX. Lesley is a multicultural, first-generation American born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, located along the U.S./Mexico border. Being the daughter of immigrants from both Germany and Peru has brought upon a feeling of being stretched between four cultures and has led her to confront ideas that focus on identity and contemporary social and political issues in her work.

Lesley acquired her BFA in Fine Art Photography from Texas State University in 2021, and her work has been exhibited throughout Texas and the U.S. Selected shows include Houston Center for Photography, (Houston, TX); Craighead Green Gallery, (Dallas, TX); Touchstone Gallery, (Washington D.C); and Humble Arts Foundation, (New York City, NY).

Lesley has participated in notable residencies such as LATITUDE (Chicago, IL), The Line partnered with Big Medium (Austin, TX), and Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT). She has held solo exhibitions at the Dougherty Arts Center (Austin, TX), LHUCA (Lubbock, TX), shedshows (Austin, TX)

In 2024, Lesley will be exhibiting a solo show: Meaningful Disruption at Bradbury Art Museum, (Jonesboro, AR) and will also be an artist in residence at Chateau d'Orquevaux in Orquevaux, France.