Leah Rachel Hawker

Leah Rachel Hawker (b.1983) is a South African artist. She completed a post-graduate diploma (with distinction) in fine art at the University of Cape Town in 2023 which took an intimate look at the lives and subsequent identities of GenZ women. She completed her initial studies at Ruth Prowse School of Art (with distinction) in 2005 with a body of work that dealt with female stereotyping. Her passion for image making evolved from a fascination with gender roles in society and our shared human condition.

By working with thousands of individuals in all contexts and environments over the last 20 years she has gained immense knowledge and understanding of human behavior. It is in both the public and private domain that she has made these observations, those of our fears and vanities: this is what she brings to her work. She published her documentary art book Breastfeeding 101 (ISBN: 978-1-928440-29-1) in 2019. Leah has placed three times, as a finalist, in both the Sasol New Signatures Competition (2009, 2018, current - 2024) and Vuleka Awards (2006, 2022). She was a finalist in the Thami Mnyele Fine Arts, 2021. More recently she has exhibited at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, the University of Johannesburg and the KKNK

Leah has initiated and worked on a number of curatorial projects, lectured at City Varsity, Western Cape Government seminars and Ruth Prowse Art School. She’s created photo essays for women’s upliftment projects and organizations in South Africa, Tanzania and Sri Lanka to date. She is currently working towards her first solo as well as on a yearlong documentary photo story funded by the National Arts Council on the Madeiran community of Woodstock for exhibition in 2025.