Identity is an ongoing theme in her work. As a Sri Lankan American she has lived balanced between two worlds rejected by one and erased by the other. Noticing the use of elephants in Sri Lanka culture, and similarities between the matriarch in an elephant herd and the work of her own single mother, she started exploring the roles and identities carried by females as a young artist.
Completing bodies of artwork in drawing and oils she celebrates female elephants, their responsibilities and identities and the inter-species similarities and connections to human females. Leaym-Fernandez’s work is vibrant. Often dismissed as “cheery” or “too fun” because of the planned frivolity and her vibrant color use, her work continues to examines undertones of female identity. Examining roles such as leader, mother, auntie, sister, daughter, caregiver, maid, sexual object, toy, population producer, chauffeur, chef, entertainer, and friend while watching these various roles work to shape, devalue, give hope, encompass dreams, empower, embolden, strip, and erase the lives of women and girls.
