12” COR-TEN Steel Sculptural Leaf 2025

Lesley Russell has dedicated her life to the arts, growing up in Scotland surrounded by rugged landscapes, industrial buildings and stunning historical architecture. This diverse landscape affected her understanding of art, proportion and her visual language all while exploring the idea of home, the community and our environment.

Educated at Dundee University she undertook a honours degree in Fine Arts and a Master’s degree in Public Art. After moving to Canada over 25 years ago she started the company Russell and Russell Design Studios in Canmore. This partnership has designed many iconic buildings and structures here in the valley often pulling from Canmore’s rich railway and mining history.

As a conceptual artist, her work has continually addressed the concept of community and the passage of time, while developing and sharing a concise concept and creating an emotional connection. Her interest in history and individual perspectives helps to shape the work, while using various materials to convey concepts, from exaggerated photography, the written word, to heavy timbers, giving them an extensive visual language.