Within the frames of Kendal O’Leary’s prints, viewers can observe octopuses come to life. Their tentacles reach out to the corners of the canvas, moving fluidly through a sea of black or white ink. O’Leary describes these prints as self-portraits, reflecting her ever-evolving experiences with womanhood, queerness and motherhood.

O’Leary grew up in Scarsdale, surrounded by art. Her mother is an artist, and O’Leary spent her senior options project working alongside her uncle in his Manhattan art studio. During her senior options, a particular image kept showing up in her paintings.