I make art meant to be experienced, not just observed.

Iโ€™m Lailani Gibson, an artist and creative producer building a world around art, culture and human connection. My work turns ideas into experiences that invite people to participate, connect and become part of whatโ€™s being created.

What makes my practice different is that I donโ€™t only create the work. I know how to build the world around it, bring people into it and make it matter beyond me.

Explore My Work
Bookings & Inquiries
A woman with long dreadlocks wearing large geometric glasses, earrings, a necklace, and a black shirt with white lining, smiling at the camera. Background includes colorful abstract paintings on a wall.

โ€œI'm not waiting for a place in the creative world. I'm building one of my own.โ€

The Artist

I create colorful, symbolic work that explores identity, emotion, culture and the human experience. My practice continues to expand beyond painting into fashion, installations and creative direction.

The Producer

My background spans audiovisual production, live entertainment and event operations. I've worked in professional production environments while independently developing public creative experiences across New York City.

The Community Builder

I founded The Art Meetup and The Creative Plug to make creativity, connection and career opportunities more accessible. Together, these projects reflect my belief that access can change people's lives.

I'm open to artistic commissions, exhibitions, fashion projects, brand campaigns, creative direction, media appearances, public speaking and thoughtful feedback.

Have an opportunity, an idea or an introduction? Let's connect.

Create it

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Live it

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Dream it

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Create it ใ€ฐ๏ธ Live it ใ€ฐ๏ธ Dream it ใ€ฐ๏ธ

A look inside my imagination.

My paintings explore the relationship between identity, emotion and the worlds we create for ourselves. Through surreal figures, vivid colors and recurring symbols, I turn personal experiences and observations into visual stories.

A street lamp illuminated during dusk, with tree branches and clouds in the sky, and part of a bridge structure and power lines in view.
Cityscape with satellite dishes on rooftops, apartment buildings, and a partly cloudy sky during dusk or dawn.
A photo of a bridge during sunset with a clear sky showing the moon and some clouds. There is a green-lit structure on the left and street lamps in the foreground.
A brick building with fire escapes and windows, under a bright blue sky with scattered white clouds, and traffic signals in the foreground.
Colorful abstract image of a ski lift with a blue sky background and green, yellow, and pink details.
Bright and colorful painting depicting two figures in an abstract style. One figure in yellow and another in red are hugging inside a purple cloud with lines radiating from their heads. To the left, swirling blue shapes resemble water or sky, with st
A colorful, abstract artwork featuring a peacock with a white cloud above its head, set against an orange background. The peacock is decorated with gold glitter, and its body is blue with yellow accents. Below it, there are stylized, colorful shapes
A vibrant painting depicting a large eye within a red and orange sunrise, a hand reaching out from a black box with stars and a moon, a winding river flowing from the box, a green landscape with trees, and a purple mountain in the background.
Close-up of an abstract painted artwork with a large circular multicolored pattern, including orange, pink, yellow, blue, and green hues, with green and brown background elements.
Abstract painting with swirling patterns in green, blue, red, and white, overlaid with a black diagonal line.
A colorful abstract painting of a face with eyes closed, a nose, and lips, set against a starry night sky with a green background on either side.
A colorful abstract painting that depicts a large yellow moon with a smiling face and two eyes with tears, holding a red fire with small green trees around it, set against a black sky, with blue and purple clouds, a red foreground, and a yellow shoot
A colorful abstract painting featuring four tall, rectangular structures with vibrant patterns, set against a purple and blue swirling background with a moon in the top left corner.
A colorful puppet with a peach face, large red lips, closed eyes covered with yellow hair strands, and spiral orange and brown ears. It is set against a background of green hills and a dark blue starry sky.
Abstract painting featuring swirling patterns, vibrant colors, cotton boll textures, an eye symbol, a crown, and stylized shapes in a surreal style.
Colorful drawing of a woman with dark hair, wearing a blue top, lying on the grass with a large red flower near her head. The scene includes a smiling sun in the sky, and the background features pink, green, and yellow colors. The drawing is made wit
Colorful abstract painting featuring a woman with flowing hair, a crown, and vibrant patterns in pink, purple, yellow, blue, and green.
Colorful abstract painting with a yellow sun, clouds, a banana, a kiwi, and a face-like figure, using vivid bright colors and bold brushstrokes.
A colorful drawing of numerous diverse faces and characters with different expressions, hairstyles, and accessories, created with various markers and colors.
A collection of colorful, neon-style illustrations on black background cards, depicting various whimsical characters, abstract patterns, and scenes, arranged in rows on a wooden floor.
Colorful drawing of a yellow face with exaggerated open mouth, surrounded by red and orange shapes, with two windows as eyes and a black open mouth, on a blue and purple background.
A colorful drawing of a snail with a spiral shell, featuring shades of orange, pink, purple, and black, and a brown body with two curved antennae. The background is green, representing grass or foliage.
Colorful poster on a school hallway wall features science-related illustrations. The left side shows a blue speech bubble with the text 'Is that microscope looking at me?' and a drawing of a microscope. The right side has a red speech bubble with the
A large yellow poster with a green border that says 'You Matter' in red writing, and 'Think like a Proton' in green, with a black atom illustration and red dots surrounding it.
A colorful bulletin board features a large black creature with three eyes, a wide mouth with jagged teeth, and green spots. Its tongue is red and dripping. Below the creature are two cartoonish blue snakes with smiling faces, and a quote that reads:
A vibrant poster of a woman with an afro hairstyle, earrings with peace symbols, and an inspiring message that says 'Power 2 the People'.
Colorful drawing of an open eye with a rainbow-colored iris, surrounded by yellow, purple, and red lines. The background is textured red with small hearts and the word 'love' written multiple times. The bottom has green grass with colorful flowers.
A colorful abstract painting with vibrant blue, yellow, red, and green areas, with faint black lines and a small, simple drawing of a hand over the blue area.
A colorful abstract painting featuring intertwined shapes and bold outlines with dominant colors of purple, red, blue, and yellow on a purple background.
A person's hand holding a jewelry bracelet with red, white, and transparent beads, positioned in front of green leafy plants with small white flowers.
A person holding colorful bead necklaces with a small mushroom pendant in front of green leafy plants and white flowers.
A hand holding a blue and gray beaded bracelet with a purple stone and butterfly charm in front of white flowering plants.
A person's hand holding a blue beaded necklace with a large blue rectangular pendant. The background is filled with green leaves and white flowers, with sunlight illuminating the scene.
A hand holding colorful beaded jewelry and a shell in front of green leafy plants and white flowering plants.
Open sketchbook with colorful, abstract crayon drawings on two pages, situated on a cluttered desk with various art supplies, cups, and a colorful canvas in the background.
Colorful drawing of a bridge spanning a river, with buildings, trees, a boat, and a boat docked near the shore, and the words "WHERE EAST SIDE" written at the top left corner.
A coloring page featuring a cityscape with a bridge, building, and stairs. Colorful markers are placed on top, with paint splatters on the page. The drawing includes a silhouette of a person outlined in yellow, red, and blue.
A face mask with a colorful abstract design, featuring a yellow figure with multiple limbs, a single eye, and an eye symbol at the bottom.
A pair of denim shorts with embroidered floral and dragon design on the front, hanging against a white textured wall.
Pair of ripped black jeans on an icy surface with a yellow and gray logo on the leg.

The experience behind the vision.

Working behind the scenes taught me what it takes to move an idea from imagination to reality. Iโ€™ve learned how to build experiences, solve problems in real time and bring creative visions to life within complex environments.

That experience now shapes my artistic practice. I approach creativity with both imagination and execution, thinking not only about what something could be, but what it takes to make it real.

WORK WITH ME
A young woman with braided hair wearing a black shirt and maroon pants, sitting against a plain dark wall.
A young woman with braided hair wearing a black shirt and maroon pants, sitting against a plain dark wall.

Get to Know Lailani.

  • I'm a New York City-based multidisciplinary artist, creative producer and founder of The Art Meetup and The Creative Plug.

    My visual practice includes acrylic painting, oil pastels, textiles, illustration and experimental design. My artwork often features surreal figures, oversized eyes, saturated colors and symbolic imagery exploring identity, isolation, relationships and the human experience.

    Beyond my studio practice, I develop public arts programming, produce live events and publish career resources. I also work full-time managing corporate audiovisual operations and programming in Times Square, with additional production responsibilities at the World Trade Center.

    I'm interested in what happens when these disciplines intersect: when a painting becomes wearable art, when an idea becomes a public experience and when creative work brings people into spaces they might not otherwise access.

  • I approach art as something people should be able to live within, participate in and experience beyond traditional galleries.

    My existing artworks demonstrate that philosophy through recurring visual themes. For My Lover (2021) uses layered figures, expressive colors and symbolic imagery to explore personal relationships. Lost Alone Outside (2021) presents surreal landscapes and figures that invite questions about isolation and belonging.

    My portfolio also includes illustrations, community-oriented artwork and functional objects, including a sewn and painted tote bags.

    I'm now exploring how that visual language can translate into original fashion, wearable sculpture, installations and immersive experiences.

    I'm particularly interested in the relationship between artistic expression and accessibility: who gets to make art, who gets to experience it and what happens when creativity becomes part of everyday life.

  • My work has connected thousands of people to creative experiences, professional opportunities and communities they might not otherwise have access to.

    Through The Art Meetup, I've independently produced more than 20 public, donation-based creative programs across New York City, generating 2,494 event registrations. I've brought art, live music, workshops and community gatherings into public spaces, including programming at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center and NYC Summer Streets.

    Through The Creative Plug, I've built an independent publication reaching more than 7,000 subscribers, connecting people across the United States with curated jobs, career resources and paid opportunities.

    Years of working behind the scenes taught me how to take an idea from concept to execution, solve problems in real time and understand everything it takes to make an experience actually work.

    What connects all of this work is my ability to recognize a need, develop an idea, build an audience and turn that idea into something people can experience.

    My goal is to create work that doesn't end when people leave the room. It should open doors, build relationships and create opportunities that continue long afterward.

  • My professional work has taught me how creative ideas survive the realities of production.

    I manage programming and audiovisual operations in fast-moving environments where technical systems, schedules, stakeholders, audiences and last-minute changes all have to work together. Iโ€™ve supported everything from intimate cultural programs to live entertainment for thousands of people, while independently producing public creative experiences across New York City.

    That range has made me comfortable moving between the creative and operational sides of a project.

    I understand how to develop an idea, anticipate what it needs, coordinate the people and resources behind it, and carry it through to the moment an audience walks into the room.

  • I want people to feel invited into something. Whether itโ€™s an artwork, a public experience or something entirely new, Iโ€™m interested in creating moments that make people feel more curious, connected and alive.

    I want my work to become part of peopleโ€™s lives, not something they only encounter from a distance.

  • My vision is to build a multidisciplinary creative practice that can move freely across art, culture and everyday life.

    I want to create ambitious exhibitions, experiences, objects, stories and cultural projects that feel unmistakably connected by the same artistic world, even when the medium changes.

    Alongside my own practice, Iโ€™m building The Art Meetup and The Creative Plug as independent platforms that give people greater access to community, creative experiences and opportunity.

    Ultimately, Iโ€™m building toward the freedom to create at a larger scale, bring other people into that process and make work that has a life beyond me.

    I want to contribute to culture by creating things people can enter, live in, respond to and make part of their own lives.

  • My work and professional experience intersect in several areas.

    For organizations developing cultural programs or live experiences, I bring experience in audiovisual operations, production management, public programming, wide scale digital marketing and community engagement.

    For creative teams, my artistic practice offers an emerging visual language grounded in surrealism, symbolism, expressive color and social commentary. I'm particularly interested in opportunities involving original artwork, fashion, creative direction and multidisciplinary projects.

    For conferences, publications and media, I can speak from direct experience about independently building creative platforms, making cultural programming more accessible, developing audiences and navigating a career across the arts and live production.

    I'm currently prioritizing the development of my own upcomming exhibition and considering paid professional opportunities that align with my artistic direction and production experience.

Have a project in mind?

I'm interested in hearing from brands, galleries, cultural institutions, production teams and media organizations developing paid creative opportunities.

Please include your project description, proposed budget, deliverables and timeline.

CONTACT