Connectivity Meets Whimsicality With Leslie Benigni
“Embroidery is a dance of needle and thread, where the artist weaves stories stitch by stitch." One of the most gifted dancers you will come across has mastered weaving to design and up cycle wearable stories that you the customer can pass on through every encounter shared with lovers , family, and friends. Leslie Benigni is the Pittsburgh based upcyler and embroiderist teaching everyone the foundations of love: it is through touch, feeling, intention and understanding that you can love someone properly. From handmade patches to embroidered pelvis shorts, Leslie continues to meet connectivity with whimsicality.
She is a talent that has touched many and made her mark in the homes, closets ands lives of everyone she’s served.
Connectivity meets whimsicality: Read more about Leslie’s story below:
Who are you?
It’s interesting, I always put artist first, but beyond that, I see myself as a good friend, a good partner, a partner, someone who cares about community, someone who's always interested in learning even when it isn't artwork. I always want to be in a place where I'm not afraid to keep learning new information even if I may be wrong. I'm someone who cares about being a part of a community, who cares about having a chosen family that may not always be conventional, but able to connect with others in such a way I would otherwise not have met before. I'm someone always looking at details of life in an existential lens, looking at life as a whole, and making decisions. I see myself as a resilient person who’s always going to try even when I’m tired.
What is your favorite part of being a multi-disciplinary artist specializing in embroidered works of art?
I love learning, and I love being able to apply these different skill sets to almost “creative problem solve”. Sometimes I encounter certain pieces I’m making, sometimes not artistic related; fiber arts, textiles, a ripped couch and being able to pick up these certain skill sets I've learned from upcycling, and embroidering. Being able to have more of a wider reach in connecting with other creatives in the community. One of my big words for 2025 is “community” and building it, dabbling with it allows me to connect with other people, even if I have a lack of knowledge on certain things, it allows me to be in with certain groups and learn more. I can get bored easily so I love how there's this innateness to being a jack of all trades, I can jump to other projects or techniques or jump to another or have this collage of sorts of aesthetics, and have this base level of comfort of tackling those.
What is your why?
My why I feel like as I grow older and do a lot more introspection and look at my journey from where I started to where I'm creating now is to do my younger self justice. To connect with the sense of inner artist and self that I always dreamed about since a little. To be someone who was enraptured to switch creativity and their artistic work, my why is to keep doing my work and satiate this need for myself. I couldn't see myself doing anything else, I don’t think I'm that type of person. As a way to further connect with others as I connect with myself, I feel my artwork through upcycling, wall art or expression be it fashion is a means to connect with myself. As I display and try to sell it elsewhere, for some events I've vended at, my work is emotional for people, it makes them feel connected to themselves or a family member. Embroidery is one of those art forms traditionally seen as “grandma work”. People connect my work with their mother, grandma, or relative who used to do similar work long ago. I see my work as a circular way to connect with others.
Leslie Benigni Is An Intentional & Pure Hearted Artist On The Rise
“I see my work as a circular way to connect with others.”
Why is connectivity so important to you in your work?
Connectivity is so important whether it's me as a person connected with the community or people connecting with my work in a way they are connecting with themselves. I think I try to consider my own personal struggles of the past. My goal of connectivity is I don't want someone to feel alone, no matter if I know them or not, however, if they're seeing my work, I want them to feel seen even if I have no idea in what ways, that they feel seen in my work or some part of them has come to light that allows them to connect with themselves. I think once people connect with themselves it opens a lot of doors for themselves and those around them. With that for them comes a deeper sense of self and awareness. Feelings can be shared even if they feel isolating, through various uncommon places it is that you feel that connection.
With your creativity and your work, do you feel a sense of safety?
Yes and no. I have the ability to make myself feel safe and I often do, but I feel like there’s often that element of danger or paranoia within art itself and creation at varying levels that I feel propels one to create safety. Sometimes when I create experimental/avant-garde pieces, oftentimes I'll create to create, but I’m aware it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea or they’ll like it and part of me doubting myself. Is this something that's even presentable or okay? And it's been an odd experience with me entering into both this double-edged sword of play and danger. Where there's safety in play and danger in creating these works, it's important for me to feel both as an artist and in my artwork. I also know I can create safety for myself, but it's often that sense of danger and paranoia that can bolster me forward, or lead me to unexpected places of safety.
How would you describe your unique embroidery aesthetic/technique?
With my technique in particular I was taught freehand expression from my grandma who started this whole thing for me, and started getting me into embroidery and sewing. I was always encouraged to be expressive and do freehand, and a lot of that since building off of that and not going towards direct models or certain stitch techniques, I was able to learn that afterward but I like to “paint with thread”, have free range since it's carefree. The aesthetic I adhere to is a very whimsical/bohemian style, but more so tapping into whimsical. I like to have an intuitive but very fun approach to creating anything I create from upcycled apparel to accessories to wall art.
What can we expect from you in 2025?
This year, even though we’re in the first month of the year, things are starting to take off which is exciting and nerve-racking. I'm beginning to teach classes, “how to embroidery 1 on 1”, and being a teacher at a local yarn shop in Bellevue. I’m hoping to work with the Carnegie Library to teach more accessible classes for anyone who wants to learn. This year I’m trying to pop up more outside of Pittsburgh, and traveling out of state, vendor / market-wise. For designs, I want to work on more avant-garde, deconstructed pieces, I think deconstruction when done thoughtfully is fascinating for those who love and are deep in the fashion world and are able to see how garments are constructed and opened up. I want to work on more incredibly detailed jeans and gowns and have the time and space for that.
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Leslie, you are truly a special being. Your creativity is inspiring, and your heart posture and intention are admirable. Thank you for your time, space, and openness to share who you are. Congratulations in advance on such a fruitful and abundant year!