We’re looking forward to introducing you to Lehna Huie. Check out our conversation below.
Lehna, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
When I rise in the morning, I take about 10 minutes to lay in stillness. I typically wake up before sunrise, as it is a rare time in the day where I dedicated time to focus on my intentions.
I set affirmations at my altar and pray to Creator, my spirit guides and ancestors for protection and clarity and thank them for the gifts of life.
I listen for what spirit is asking of me for the day, week and season ahead. I enjoy doing this while the house is quiet before the noise of the day quickly funnels in.
This helps me to calm my mind and get in sync with the rise of the sun as the night fades and welcomes the light of the day.
I am truly at my best when I have this daily practice to guide my energy and direction.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Lehna Huie and I am a multidisciplinary artist and cultural worker of Jamaican heritage from New York City. I work in painting, installation and video on themes of diaspora, memory and fragmentation – through the lens of mysticism and wonder. Huie’s works weave collage, painting and sculptural forms that draw inspiration from Caribbean oral histories.
Concentrated on non-linear time and ritual, my work is rooted in an archival practice of creating dream landscapes that document my lineage. As a daughter of Jamaican- Maroon descent, I come from a line of abolitionists, artists and roots workers.
I am guided by spirit-led interdisciplinary research methods. Composed of textile scraps, paper, beads, shells, plant matter, projections and everyday objects, my works personify the land and waters surrounding my roots. My compositions integrate cultural symbols, treasured stories, and family photographs varying in scale, medium, and surface to reimagine memories.
Embodying Caribbean masquerade, ritual and carnival culture, I create ceremonial materials from a personal lens – to map familial geographies. Embellishing the materiality of shrine spaces found in nature, family heirlooms, and recycled components.
I reflect on cultural explorations of resistance and imagination. At its core, my work is an act of retrieval— preserving legacies that might otherwise be distorted or faded. Lehna’s works are experienced across multiple iterations and settings ranging from traditional gallery walls to both indoor and outdoor site-specific locations, with performative elements of commemoration and contemplation.
I work as a mentor and advisor supporting artists from all walks of life. I am dedicated to supporting artists and creatives in developing the skills and motivation to strengthen their visions by cultivating best practices.
Utilizing tools of visualization, relationship building and strategic planning, I encourage creatives to flourish and thrive on their unique paths.
My practice includes work as a Legacy Specialist preserving intergenerational artists archives and oral histories.
Lehna’s work has been exhibited at institutions such as the National Gallery of Jamaica, MOCA Arlington, Weeksville Heritage Center, and MOCA Detroit. She has participated in residencies including the Joan Mitchell Center, ACRE, Stoneleaf Retreat, and Chautauqua. She has received multiple awards, including the Puffin Foundation grant and the Global Fund for Women Artist Changemaker Award. As a Legacy Specialist, she focuses on preserving intergenerational artist archives and oral histories
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Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child I often felt afraid of my own gifts. I was always observant yet painfully shy, I hid behind creativity as a means to express myself. I enjoyed listening deeply, without sharing much. People often thought that I was mute as a young child, because of how quiet I was.
I was encouraged to share my voice by people who believed in me and my creativity. Now I do my best to push myself to share my gifts with the world while also embracing the magic of deep listening. I love to encourage others to shine in the ways that feel best to them.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell my younger self to trust in your voice, your gifts and in the uncertainty of life. Adversity invites us to grow in ways we would never experience otherwise.
With focus and forward movement, a road will open for you and for those you love. if you have faith and continue to take one more step in the process.
You are welcome to shift and pivot as you, your perceptions and beliefs continue to unfold and grow. Take care of your heart and mind and continue to share your love and creativity with the world.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Practices of ritual and mindfulness help me to keep a clear mind and steady focus.
I honor the divine in the mundane and ordinary moments of the everyday, I do my best to savor all things slowly, without rushing. I honor the majestic rhythms of nature – the coming and going of light and darkness, the sunrise and sunset, sun light and moonshine.
I am intrigued by the mysteries of this life in all forms from the bottom of the ocean to the stars in the sky.
I am grateful for communication with spirit. For the trees, winds and waters that whisper to my innermost soul – for nourishment and growth through creativity.
I am grateful for witness – to recognize the horrors that many of this earth have to endure – and speak up in the ways that I can, through art. I am generous with the love that I share with the hopes that I can always do something to uplift others.
I thank my ancestors, spiritual guides and those who inspire me to be my best, in whatever state I might be in whether up or down..
I am passionate about supporting and uplifting artists from all walks of life, especially utilizing the arts as a means of healing ourselves and our communities from within.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people will remember my loving heart, jubilant laugh, bright smile and colorful spirit. I strive to be a positive and warm presence for others – I pray that people remember how I made them feel, loved, whole and seen.
It is my intention for my artworks to outlive me and share my life, passions, heritage and lineage.. I want to keep the stories of my family and community alive through the work.
I hope that my work continues to bring people from all walks of life together. and encourages them to expand their curiosity.
I hope that my 10 year old daughter, who also identifies as an artist – will trust that she can create anything she wants and that her dreams have no limit! I know that she carries the legacy of creativity forward, no matter what she ends up doing throughout her life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.LehnaHuie.com
- Instagram: @Lehnahuie
