United States, 1992
Nicholas Kerestan Leeper, SJ (b. 1992, New Jersey, USA) is a Jesuit scholastic, teacher, and iconographer whose Pop Icons series blends traditional religious symbolism from Byzantine art with early Pop Art. The clash of these two art history bookends, from before the beginning of art and after the end of art, hints at art's power that lies beyond that retinal shudder. These works present what Pseudo-Dionysius calls "dissimilar similarities," where symbols point toward the ineffable through paradox to reveal a glimpse of truth. Leeper holds a Master's in Philosophy from Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He has had works displayed at a variety of venues, including bodegas, halfway homes, donut shops, and conventional art galleries. His work is in a variety of private collections in the United States and has been exhibited abroad. Leeper currently lives and works in Manhattan, New York, USA.