Léa Lerma

(b. 1996, Ermont, France)

Léa Lerma is a rising contemporary artist known for her evocative and interdisciplinary practice, which spans photography, video, and book-making. Lerma’s works often explore themes of intimacy, vulnerability, and the intersections between personal and collective narratives. Her approach integrates both analogue and digital mediums, creating immersive experiences that blur the boundaries between documentation and fiction.

Lerma studied at the Royal College of Art, London, where she received her MA in Photography in 2022. She holds a National Diploma in Art, Photography, and Video from ENSBA Lyon (2018) and completed advanced training at INSEAMM, Marseille, earning a Certificate of Training for Intervening Visual Artists in 2025. Lerma’s formative years also included working as a studio assistant to artists Daniel Gustav Cramer and Haris Epaminonda in Berlin.

Her work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions across Europe and internationally. Recent highlights include Ensemble pour les artistes de Gaza at Art-cades, Marseille (2024), and INSTARS AND IMAGO at Ravisius Textor, Nevers (2024). Lerma has participated in prominent art festivals such as PARÉIDOLIE in Marseille (2024) and L’Impertinence festival in Sète (2024). Other significant exhibitions include Bye Bye Kluster at Monopole, Lyon (2023), and Our Path Will Cross Again at the Parallel Institute, China (2023).

Lerma’s collaborative projects often centre around her duo work with Angèle Dumont, with whom she has created acclaimed exhibitions, including Éloge des amitiés at L’Agent-Troublant, Marseille (2024) and Bye Bye Kluster in Lyon (2023).

In addition to her exhibition practice, Lerma is the founder of Bluff Books, an independent publishing venture. Her innovative approach to book-making and exhibitions was exemplified in PISTA, launched at Bal Books, Paris (2024).

Léa Lerma’s works are recognised for their poetic sensitivity and experimental edge, earning her a reputation as one of the most compelling voices of her generation. She currently lives and works in Marseille, France.

Institutional collections and artist-run spaces that have hosted or acquired Lerma’s work include Château de Servières, Marseille; Copeland Gallery, London; and L’Agent-Troublant, Marseille. Her artistic trajectory continues to attract critical attention and generate international collaborations such as with Sunend.org.

Education:

2024-2025: CFPI, INSEAMM - Certificate of Training for Intervening Visual Artists

2019-2022: MA Photography, Royal College of Art, London

2015-2018: National Diploma in Art, Photography, and Video, ENSBA Lyon

Professional Experience:

2018-2019: Studio Assistant to Daniel Gustav Cramer and Haris Hepamimonda, Berlin

Group Exhibitions:

2024

November 14: Ensemble pour les artistes de Gaza with Mohamed Bourouissa, Valérie Jouve, and others, Art-cades, Galerie des Bains Douches, Marseille

September 13 – November 20: INSTARS AND IMAGO, curated by Rudy Guedj & Terrains Communs, Ravisius Textor, Nevers

August 29 – 31: Les veilleuses (duo with Angèle Dumont), invited by Théophylle DCX during the PARÉIDOLIE art fair, Château de Servières, Marseille

August 3 – 18: De 5 à 7, part of the L’Impertinence festival, Galerie Zoom, Sète

June 6: Launch of PISTA at Bal Books, Paris

February 21: Éloge des amitiés (duo with Angèle Dumont), L’Agent-Troublant, Artist-run space, Marseille

2023

June 21 – August 30: Bye Bye Kluster (duo with Angèle Dumont), Monopole, Artist-run space, Lyon

April 1 – June 15: Our path will cross again, Parallel Institute, China

March 15: Garces #4, L’Agent-Troublant, Artist-run space, Marseille

2022

September 23 – 28: Autumn Graduation Show, RCA Graduates Exhibition, Battersea South Building, London

September 27: On Consent in Photography, conversation with Tom Lovelace, RCA, London

August 15 – 19: After the Waiting Room, Copeland Gallery, Peckham, London

August 15 – 19: Come and Go, curated by Philomene Hoel, Flat Deux, London

Publications and Collaborative Projects:

Founder of Bluff Books

Contributor to multiple group book exhibitions, including Our path will cross again (2023, Parallel Institute, China)