A Providence, Rhode Island native Leiyana Simone is a photo-based artist with a focus on portraiture of subjects of color, her community, and the culture. Her work aims to highlight the extraordinary within the ordinary. While giving positive representation to people of color through capturing their vulnerability in an ethereal light. Her photographs have been exhibited at the Providence Art Club, in RISD Museum’s Black Biennial, and published in Vogue Italia via Photo Vogue. Leiyana is currently a member of the 2023-2024 WaterFire Accelerate Cohort. She is also apart of the first Emerging Artist Fellowship at AS220 for 2023-2024.