Xavier Leopold
Artist x Art Lawyer x Lecturer
What does being mind-strong mean to you?
The capacity to keep going in the face of external and/or internal adverse conditions. It incorporates attributes like resilience, determination, and emotional intelligence. I believe mental strength—like any other type of fitness—can be developed through hard work and dedication.
Never lying or never gossiping again?
Never lying. Trying to be more honest with myself, as well as with others, is the aim.
What have you discovered about yourself in the last year?
During my MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art, I was really struggling with the piece I was making for the graduation exhibition. Feeling out of my depth, stretched, and unsure of my abilities or instincts, I nonetheless continued pushing into this sense of the ‘unknown’ and expanded my practice into new media and disciplines.
I learned that my creative practice involves a considerable amount of labour, focus, and—at times—stress, and that’s fine. Maybe even necessary.
If your thoughts made noises, what would they be?
A typical day starts chilled and upbeat, so we’d be listening to something jazzy as I get ready for the day. Grime and DnB if I’m exercising. My creative practice is quite craft-based and methodical, so something choral or ethereal while I’m working in the studio. Bashment and Afrobeats as the evening draws to a close and I meet friends or head home.
What change would you want the world to focus on?
There are, sadly, too many to choose from right now, but since I graduated from art school this week, I would say the moral and economic rights of artists. We all rely so much on culture, but its creators are often not supported in their practices.
Protecting artists from being exploited, having their work stolen, or unjustly used as evidence against them by prosecutors are just some of the causes that need attention.
Art, Advocacy, and Amplifying the Vulnerable
[un]LEARN Podcast
In this episode, we sit down with Xavi, a city trader who has become a celebrated multidisciplinary artist, and explore how Xavi discovered his true calling and what it means to lead a life of purpose.
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