Christina Leslie: Pinhole Portraits and Places
Canadian-Jamaican artist Christina Leslie presents Pinhole Portraits and Places, a solo exhibition that explores identity, culture, and personal heritage through the lens of pinhole photography. The exhibition is composed of three series: Portraits, Places, and Parishes, each offering a different perspective based on Leslie’s cultural background and experiences.
Christina Leslie began developing Pinhole Portraits and Places in 2016, experimenting with early photographic practices such as the pinhole technique. Through this approach, she challenges the lack of Black representation in art institutions. From 2017 to 2025, Leslie created a collection of photographs where the first series of portraits features Black men and women posed against deep black backdrops. These softly blurred images, tinted in a warm orange tone, complement well with the gold accessories like the hoop earrings and hair beads, highlighting the richness of Black skin and emotional expression.
Christina Leslie, (L-R) Monique; Caleb and Carol, each from the series “Pinhole Remix”, 2020, printed in 2021, pigment print on archival paper flush mounted to Aluminum Composite Panel
The exhibition opens with the Pinhole Portraits series, offering an intimate introduction to Leslie’s exploration of identity and representation. Leslie was inspired by the Renaissance and Rembrandt-style, capturing her subjects with intimacy, reverence, and historical depth. Historically, photography has been used to document individuals of high social status, often reinforcing colonial and elitist narratives. Christina Leslie challenges this by using the medium to center and celebrate Black identity. Her work reframes photography as a tool for honoring Black lives, placing her subjects within a lens of dignity, beauty, and emotional depth. In doing so, she creates space for reflection on representation, cultural memory, and belonging.
Christina Leslie, (L-R) Stephanie, 2020, printed 2021; Andre, 2020, printed 2025 and Melissa, 2020, printed 2021, each from the series “Pinhole Remix”, pigment print on archival paper flush mounted to Aluminum Composite Panel
The second series is centered around Places, capturing environments that depict a sense of “home.” These photographs offer subtle insights into Leslie’s Caribbean heritage and the lives of those featured in her portraits. Through bold colours, elements like water and seashells, and familiar yet abstract settings, Leslie reflects on spaces shaped by personal history and memory.
This series highlights people and places that hold deep cultural and emotional significance, formed through lived experience and passed-down stories. The images appear blurred or distant, representing the nature of memory, especially within diasporic contexts. Leslie’s work consistently centers family and community, asserting their rightful place in contemporary art. Places underscore themes of cultural displacement and the struggle for recognition, addressing how society overlooks Black experiences.
Christina Leslie, Max, Shabazz, and the BK steps, 2023, from the series of “Pinhole Places”, pigment print on archival paper
Pinhole Places (2022–2025) portrays elements of street photography to explore a variety of spaces, some are familiar, others are more abstract. Through this contrast, the series reflects on the complex relationship between connection and disconnection that often defines diasporic experiences.
Christina Leslie, Galang, 2025 from the series of “Pinhole Places”, pigment print on archival paper
The third series, Pinhole Parishes (2023–2025), centers on several parishes in Jamaica, drawing inspiration from stories passed down through Leslie’s family. She successfully blends storytelling with photography, and she preserves these memories while engaging with Jamaica’s post-colonial landscape. Her visits to the island deepen her connection to place and ancestry, grounding the work in personal discovery and cultural affirmation.
Christina Leslie, (L-R) Pinhole #6, 2024; Pinhole #10, 2024 and Pinhole #4, 2023, each from the series “Pinhole Parishes”, pigment print on archival paper flush mounted to Aluminum Composite Panel
Across all three series, Leslie presents her work in an engaging and intimate manner. Through textured imagery, warm tones, and visual references to classical art, viewers are invited to piece together a narrative that speaks to heritage, identity, and the power of the Black stories and voices.
Abuk Lual
Images are courtesy of the artist and Stephen Bulger Gallery.
*Exhibition information: Christina Leslie, Pinhole Portraits and Places, May 10 – July 5, 2025, Stephen Bulger Gallery, 1356 Dundas Street West, Toronto. Gallery hours: Tue – Sat 11am – 6pm.