“Between Dreamscapes” by Illustrator Leyla Cui

A selection of work by New York City-based illustrator and artist Leyla Cui. Exploring the fluidity of female identity, Cui’s work weaves memory, intimacy, and self-perception into surreal narratives. Through fragmented figures and shifting forms, she examines the body as a vessel of desire, trauma, and transformation. Hair, skin, and touch become symbols of memory, evoking tensions between visibility and erasure. Cui moves beyond traditional representation, challenging fixed perceptions and expanding the emotional depth of storytelling. By giving form to the unspoken, she creates a space where femininity is both intimate and infinite, resonating with the silent yet persistent voices of history and self-discovery.