Leah Daria Ward: ‘Art has the ability to cut to the heart of things that words can’t always reach’
Ahead of the opening of her first solo show, The Spaces Between: Inner Landscapes, artist Leah Daria Ward chats to us about growing up surrounded by creative women, her work as a psychotherapist, and art’s intrinsic power to communicate the ineffable.
Leah Daria Ward is a Dublin-based Irish artist creating vibrant abstract acrylic paintings, inspired by the colours and textures of the Dublin Mountains and sea. Her process is intuitive and experimental, exploring different paint techniques. Leah also has an MSc in Art Psychotherapy, and her work as a psychotherapist reinforces her belief in the healing power of art.
On Friday, November 7, Leah opens her first solo exhibition, The Spaces Between: Inner Landscapes, at The Gathering Grounds Café, Kilternan. Pieces will be available to purchase on the night, and any remaining pieces will be available to buy online afterwards. Each piece is one of a kind — once it’s gone, it’s gone!
Was a career as an artist something you always aspired to?
Honestly, not really. When I was a child, me and my sisters would go down to visit our aunt and uncle in Wexford. My uncle was a talented musician and my auntie was an artist. She had a studio out the back of the house and I used to think she was so cool. When we’d visit she’d sit us up at the table with paints and canvas paper. I absolutely loved it.
My mum is also very creative. She was an oil still life painter and I remember her sitting at the kitchen table with her easel when I was younger and her paintings are all around the family home, so art was always in the background of daily life.
On my dad’s side, my grandmother is a dressmaker, as were her parents before her, so there’s definitely creativity in my blood. I’ve been lucky to grow up surrounded by talented, creative women, which meant there was always space for me to experiment and find my own way of expressing myself.
You have a background in psychotherapy, tell us about the healing power of art.
I’ve been working as a psychotherapist for almost ten years now, and my MSc was in Art Psychotherapy. I think art has this incredible ability to cut straight to the heart of things that words can’t always reach. It opens up a line of communication with myself that’s beyond language.
When you interact with art, whether that’s painting, film, music, or walking through a gallery, you gain a different perspective. You see and hear the world through someone else’s eyes, and that in itself is healing. It’s a reminder that you’re not alone in what you’re feeling. That sense of connection, and the space it creates for growth, is where I believe the real power of art lies.
I’m not the loudest person in a room and I’m an introvert by nature. I read somewhere recently that “the opposite of depression is not joy, it’s expression,” and I think that’s really true. Art helps me express myself in a way that feels authentic to me.
What is your process when creating a new work? How do certain themes and experiences feed into or present themselves in your art?
I spend a lot of time preparing before painting, mixing paints with water, choosing colour combinations, and creating a rough plan in my mind. I create abstract pieces using fluid acrylics, and what I love about the process is that you can never truly predict how a piece will turn out.
Sometimes I’ll use a new combination of colours and only realise later that it’s connected to a recent memory or moment. Earlier this year, I spent a lot of time exploring the Wicklow Mountains, swimming in lakes and rivers, surrounded by wild garlic and bluebells. There’s something magical about that time of year. Bluebells have a delicate, fairy-like quality and are steeped in folklore. They only bloom for a short while, which makes them even more precious. Often, I paint first and make sense of the meaning later. It’s a reflective process, and the painting becomes a mirror that helps me connect the dots.
One of my favourite studio memories was this summer when a neighbour’s cat wandered in while I was working. I adore cats, so I was delighted, until she decided to sprint across a freshly painted canvas. Chaos ensued. After cleaning her up, and myself, I noticed her paw print perfectly stamped in the corner of the piece. I left it there and titled it Self Pawtrait. Honestly, my dream collaboration. I love little moments of surprise, and this one was a highlight of the summer.
Tell us about your first solo exhibition, The Spaces Between: Inner Landscapes.
I have my very first solo exhibition on November 7 between 7-10pm in The Gathering Grounds Café, in Kilternan not far from where I grew up and I couldn’t be more excited. There are over 35 pieces in the show.
With this collection I was drawn to the idea of “the spaces between”. Those quiet reflective moments of pause in between something coming to end and the uncertainty of what’s beginning. They’re not quite limbo but the moments of reflection and quiet that come just before change.
As a psychotherapist, I often sit with people during those in-between stages of change, and I find them deeply meaningful. That’s what I wanted to explore: how that pause, that discomfort, can become a catalyst for transformation.
My hope is that viewers will connect with the pieces and see a bit of their own inner landscape reflected back at them.
What are some of your favourite subjects, or specific pieces that you’ve created?
I’ve always been drawn to the in-between seasons like spring and autumn. There’s something so alive about those times when nature is shifting, when something new begins to bud or something else falls away. The landscape feels charged with change, and that transition really inspires me.
The centrepiece of this collection is a painting called There’s a Spring Within. It captures that sense of hope and renewal that spring brings.
I love a play on words, and this piece reflects both the season itself and the idea that we all have our own internal spring, a well of resilience and possibility. The painting was inspired by bright spring skies and pink-tinged branches that remind you the world is waking up again.
Who is someone you look up to in the realm of Irish art?
I want to say CMAT. Everything she does feels like art to me. I love how she uses humour and wit to balance the heavier themes in her lyrics. There’s so much honesty and creativity in the way she expresses herself, and I really admire that. I love that she brought her newly extracted wisdom teeth in a bedazzled Kerrygold butter purse to the Mercury Prize award show. She comes across as authentically herself and creates space for women to thrive and be themselves.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Right now, I think it’s this exhibition! It’s something I’ve been working towards for a long time, and I’m proud to finally see it come to life. It has challenged me in the best way and pushed me out of my comfort zone. There’s nothing like a deadline to keep you focused.
What is one thing you wish everyone knew about working as an artist?
That making the art is only half of it. The other half is putting yourself out there. Promoting your work, managing social media, creating reels, and talking about what you do can be terrifying, especially if you’re an introvert like me. But it’s all part of sharing your work with the world, and I’m learning to embrace that side of it more.
What would you say to a budding artist unsure of their next steps?
Give yourself time and grace. Keep creating, even when you’re not sure where it’s leading. It’s through doing that that you find your style and voice. Art evolves as you do, so let it grow alongside you.
Leah Daria Ward’s life in culture…
The last thing I saw and loved… My cat lying upside down, paws tucked in and snoozing by the fire.
The book I keep coming back to… The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron; her ‘morning pages’ and ‘artist dates’ are practices I often return back to when I’m feeling stuck.
I find inspiration in… My life, my relationships, new experiences and my surroundings.
My favourite film is… Past Lives.
My career highlight is… My Cat Collab!
The song I listen to get in the zone at the moment is… Celine Dion ‘It’s All Coming Back to Me Now’ – all 7 minutes and 37 seconds of it!
The last show I recommended is… Tony Cantwell’s stand up show You Cry Weird live – good for your soul.
I never leave the house without… My turquoise emotional support water bottle.
The best advice I’ve ever gotten… To “get back on your own team!” It’s a good reminder to back yourself.
The art that means the most to me is… I love Damien Dempsey’s song ‘It’s All Good’ and one year for my birthday my cousins gifted me the Damo X Maser Love Yourself Today print and that’s really special to me.
The most challenging thing about being an artist is… Self promotion and social media.
If I wasn’t an artist, I would be… A professional cat whisperer maybe? Probably still covered in paint.
The magic of art to me is… Its ability to connect and being able to see life through someone else’s eyes.
Photography by Aleksandra Klimczak.
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