Leslie Lumeh is a Liberian refugee artist based in France. Internationally recognized and presented by CNN as “Liberia’s most celebrated artist,” his paintings are prestigious collections, from the European Union to the International Monetary Fund, The World Bank as well as American embassies.
Beyond his art, Leslie is also a mentor. in 2010, he opened the Liberian Visual Arts Academy (LivArts), the first post war art school that offers free art education programs to Liberian children.
From 2005 to 2015, he works as resident cartoonist for the Daily Observer newspaper in Monrovia.
He has done courtroom drawings in South Africa, Switzerland and France. Leslie’s lively artwork can be found in over ten Reading CODE books, (Canadian Organization for Development Through Education) where his illustrations breathe life into stories and poems. His work resonates with children in Liberia, Sierra Leone and beyond. Leslie has supervised illustration projects and helped train illustrators in both Liberia and Sierra Leone for CODE.
We’re thrilled that Lumeh will be illustrating Patricia Jabbeh Wesley’s children’s picture book, In Monrovia, The River Visits The Sea, due to be released November 10th, 2026.
More of his works are available on his website: