Araina Leatherock is an illustrator and painter who currently resides in North Texas. She earned her BFA in Painting from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in 2020. Her work builds evocative, playful scenes that engage the viewer’s imagination with dynamic character designs. These illustrations evoke a sense of intrigue towards delightful strangeness.

Araina currently works as a Creative Operator at Meow Wolf: The Real Unreal, which is also the site of her first mural in Texas. She plans to expand her illustrations into a larger body of products for local art markets.

Her single biggest motivation for making art is to create a space of respite for the viewer that allows a safe outlet for sincere imagination in the face of daily anxiety and fear. She believes in the healing power of fantasy to combat life’s bleakest moments.