Leigh Blanchard

Meet Me Underwater is a body of work composed of photographs and mixed-media images by Leigh Blanchard. Diagnosed as Autistic in 2024, Blanchard created this work in response to her diagnostic journey, combining photography and fiber elements to evoke both comfort and unease. While the abstract compositions initially appear gentle and romantic, closer inspection reveals tension beneath the surface.

“It’s been a strange time to receive my autism diagnosis. After taking time to process, I found an Autistic community where I felt understood, only to see autism suddenly flooded with misinformation in the news. The experience has been disorienting—feeling liberated as I reinterpret myself and my past, while also facing fear and misunderstanding.”

A thousand shapes and shades, 2026
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper, lace fabric, and thread, 20 1/2 x 14 1/4 in

Elizabeth, 2026
Pigment ink on cotton fabric, thread, 5 x 5 x 2 in

Grounding, 2026
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper, lace fabric, and thread, 27 1/4 x 41 in

Stepping Out For Air, 2025
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper, 22 x 17 in

Here I Am Where I Must Be, 2026
Pigment ink on cotton fabric, thread, 5 x 5 x 2 in

Past All Dreaming, 2026
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper, lace fabric, and thread, 12 3/4 × 8 1/2 in

Echo, 2026
Pigment ink on cotton fabric, thread, 5 x 5 x 2 in

Bed of Stone, 2026
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper, lace fabric, and thread, 14 1/4 x 20 1/2 in

Wide Awake, 2026
Pigment ink on cotton fabric, thread, 5 x 5 x 2 in

Grove Street, 2026
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper, lace fabric, linen fabric, and thread, 14 1/4 x 20 1/2 in

The Space Between, 2026
Pigment ink on cotton fabric, thread, 5 x 5 x 2 in

No Stranger, 2026
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper, 22 x 17 in

Go Where I Would I Cannot, 2026
Pigment ink on cotton fabric, thread, 5 x 5 x 2 in

Trying Times, 2026
Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper, lace fabric, and thread, 12 3/4 × 8 1/2 in