Simone Leigh makes art for Black femmes. Born in Chicago in 1967, the daughter of Jamaican missionaries, Leigh studied both art and philosophy in college. She was going to be a social worker, but art wouldn’t loosen its grip on her. Leigh works in sculpture, video, and installation, and uses her art as a way to explore the experiences and histories of Black women, and to honor their enduring epic presence in the world. She likes to go large. “Having to use my entire mind and body to make the work [is] really exhilarating. Relative to the figure, my hand is like a fine tool at that scale.” For the Venice Biennale, Leigh will be presenting new work, including a monumental bronze sculpture alongside studies in raffia, ceramics, and more. —Sophie Kemp