Painting by Leah Mariani 144 Artwork Sold

May the lord open

Oil, Canvas, Ready to hang

15.8in (W) x 15.8in (H) x 1.2in (D)

Certificate of Authenticity Included
$480

Artwork Description

The title of this painting is taken from The Handmaid's Tale. “May the Lord open” is a phrase that the Handmaids use to greet each other. They are praying for fertility, as their sole purpose in life is to produce children. This painting is a cynical representation of that phrase.

The woman's body is painted on printed fabric showing a motif of the Virgin Mary. The pattern of the fabric wraps around the sides of the canvas. The painting is ready to hang.

Artist Bio

I'm a Melbourne artist making art about people, identity and relationships. I draw on my experience as a woman and a mother, and as a result, most of my work is about womanhood. I am a passionate advocate of women’s issues and gender equality.

I have an interest in patterns and lines and include them in nearly all my work. My attraction to patterns comes from my love of order (I'm also an accountant), but I mostly like the flat, decorative element it adds. Sometimes the material inspires the subject, but more often than not, I seek out a particular look, colour or pattern to go with the concept I have in mind. Including patterns is a way of adding another dimension to the work.

In 2020, I won the Unearthed Prize by Art to Art gallery in Balwyn. I've been exhibiting since 2012, when I held my first solo show. Prizes for which I have been shortlisted include the 2025 Omnia Prize, 2019 Footscray Art Prize, the 2018 Contemporary Art Prize, the 2016 Hornsby Prize, the 2016 She competition, the Lethbridge 10000 Small-Scale Art Prize, the 2013 Agendo Award and the 2011 Metro Award.  Early in my career, I won the 2013 Yen magazine Female Artist award and won 2 prizes at the Albert Park College Art Show. My artwork is in private collections worldwide and is part of the Standard Chartered Bank art collection, Albert Park College public collection, and the Image Mundi project.