What makes my art special? That’s for you to decide.
I am Leyla Salm — an artist, designer, curator, and cultural entrepreneur. My work is a dialogue between past and present, between heritage and imagination. Inspired by the flowing lines of Art Nouveau, the mystery of Symbolism, and the elegance of Art Deco, I create pieces that are at once rooted in history and alive in the present moment.
Art runs in my family. My ancestors designed landmark buildings, painted with the Laren School, and shaped the cultural fabric of their time. I carry that spirit forward, yet in my own way — reimagining found and historic materials, experimenting with light and colour psychology, and allowing emotion to guide the brush until meaning emerges. My paintings are layered stories: fragments of memory, subconscious visions, and symbols that reveal themselves differently to each viewer.
Beyond the canvas, I founded The Bohemian Emporium by LEYLA SALM in Sweden, a cultural boutique where art, antiques, and curiosities come together. It is more than a gallery — it is a living space of connection, where objects breathe, and each piece carries a story waiting to be discovered.
I have always believed that art should move beyond decoration. It should transform. A room, a thought, a feeling. That belief has led me to collaborate with architects and designers, curating interiors and workplaces where art and design are woven into the rhythm of daily life.
My practice is also about people. I have led workshops, taught, and guided creative projects, always with the aim of making art accessible and participatory. With an online following of over 130,000, I extend these conversations into the digital world, connecting with audiences far beyond my studio walls.
In the end, my work is not only about what I create, but about how it is received. Every painting, every curated space, every object I present is an invitation. An opening. A possibility. What you see in it — that is where the magic begins.
