15 Vibrant Decor Designs Crafted By Australian Artist Leankahari
Leanka Platt or “Leankahari” doesn’t see herself as a formal “artist,” but rather as a maker, a craftswoman. Her process is intuitive rather than heavily conceptual. In her latest series, the Folk Heart project, each piece is one of a kind and could easily be called art, but she leans toward objects that have some aspect of functionality, perhaps a rack, a glove-box holder or a piece of furniture, rather than existing purely for aesthetic reasons. She admits that though by definition this process could be considered as crafting, she mostly plays with form and colour, creating pieces that feel bold, a bit odd, yet pleasing to her own eye.
A big influence on Platt’s work is traditional folk art from around the world. Years in tattooing have exposed her to an industry that is built on visual exchange between cultures. In an interview with DeMilked, she reflected on how this experience opened her eyes to the richness of global craft traditions. As a dedicated fan and collector of folk art, her aim wasn’t to copy any single culture. Instead, she studies what draws her in: bold colours, simplified shapes, floral and geometric patterns, and ornate details. She then uses those shared visual “codes” to build something distinctly personal rather than directly tied to one place.
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Image Source: Leankahari
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Image Source: Leankahari
According to Platt, her priority is originality. She wants to make things she hasn’t seen before, things she personally thinks look cool. For her, growth comes from looking ahead rather than sideways, avoiding imitation, and holding onto integrity in her practice. The result is work that sits somewhere between art and craft, playful, bold, rooted in global folk traditions, and unmistakably her own.
Because these folk elements of stylised flowers, animals, devils, and recurring symbols show up all over the world, some people might see echoes of Mexican, Indian, Asian, or European art in Platt’s work. She believes that this overlap is part of a long history of cultural exchange. Her practice is rooted in respect for these traditions, not in exploiting or claiming them.
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Image Source: Leankahari
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Image Source: Leankahari
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