Today we’d like to introduce you to Laela Duncan.
Hi Laela, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hello beloved. Firstly, thank you for holding this space to get to know me and my journey. I hope it brings a sense of hope and inspiration in yours. Especially in this time of sadness, chaos and uncertainty.
Looking back to how I started bear mix feelings of tremendous trials and triumphs without tribulations. I hailed from a humble and artistic, American military family. My ancestors come from Scotland, France, Southeast Asia and Brazil.
My inspiration in the visual arts began in the most rough of times in my childhood when my father had gifted me a book of the Renaissance Arts on my 12th birthday. I was and still fascinated! Art saved me.
I dabbled in drawing when I was little but my journey in color didn’t begin until I took several basic oil pastel technique lessons from a Venice California-based painter-teacher, Vibul Wonprasat in 2013. Shortly after, I delved into oil. There, I found immense joy and solace in the most intricately meditative process, soothing me through my roughest of moments, while bringing me to distant lands with my vivid imagination.
I am inspired by everything around me and capture the essence, emotion, and beauty through my mind’s eye and heart. So I try!
Today, I continue creating. I hold a carefully selected few of my beloved paintings, beautiful wearable art – Legacy ARTwear, and drawings birthed from love waiting for a new homage. Maybe it’s yours?
As for the performing arts, it started with my relentless battle to overcoming shyness & feelings of inadequacy. I idolize Sade, Karen Carpenter, Brazilian artists, and even Bjork! Though I do not sound like her at all, I admire her unique style, courage and experimental nature. I did not always sing in 5-6 languages and would not have known I could, until I tried. I struggled with panic attacks within a decade after my Dad’s passing, yet I did not allow the shackles of sorrow and a lack of formal musical education hold me back from this newfound artistic pursuit.
Consequently, with an acceptable demo, discipline, and a fantastic manager at the time, I struck good fortune by landing a record deal with a major label, Sony BMG Music, as a recording and performing artist. Touching people’s lives through song and sharing my love of music while touring was the best time of my life.
Dancing, I love it! Though it is more of a hobby, just like writing poetry and songs (and perhaps a book someday) they bring me so much joy!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While I train myself to cultivate more “smooth” moments in life, my journey is no different than most that shares similar struggles of constant waves of setbacks. What helps me is my innate calmness, my conscious choice of living an unhurried, unruffled and balanced life. Choice is one, daily cultivation is another. Ah, the infinite stories of our endless loops. Kidding aside, my sincere hope is for us to reach a place of constant peace, starting with our inner world, where suffering could seize to exist. With that, we remain in a constant state of nirvana. Though neurologically unrealistic, I believe it is achievable. I invite everyone to cultivate such for optimum health, loving wellbeing, and the nurturance of our higher selves. It is like being our own best spark plugs!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am humbly known for being a kind and sweet soul, a “refreshing” vibe, and calm in the storm. As a creative and management professional, what sets me apart: possessing empathy and compassion with the ability to combine higher divergent thinking and openness to experience, while holding a stronger growth mindset laser focused on helping others.
I specialize in the fine arts, literature and business. Besides being a poet, painter, singer-songwriter, dancer, tennis player, model and ex Sony artiste (performs in 5-6 languages), I am most proud of being an Artrepreneur and co-founder of the newly launched – Legacy ARTwear. Not only that they are hand-custom made in Canada with water-based ink, vegan fabrics, and recyclable materials, they are also designed from original paintings and drawings since I was 12 years old.
It is a dream come true my late sister and I founded together for our communities. It is environmental-friendly, colorful, unique, and most of all, made with love. Our hope is that everyone would love them as much as we do. ❤️
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
With Legacy ARTwear, the dream is for everyone to feel beautiful, unique, seen, and proud knowing that they are wearing art that is birthed from so much love, creativity, and care for humanity and our environment. Not to mention that you will be wearing one of only two produced designs per size. Thus, sustainable and utterly one (in this case) two-of-a-kind!
As for music, today, I venture as a Guest Singer amongst local artists.
I aim to make an impact and make others’ problems go away… even for just 5 minutes.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I am deeply grateful for VoyageLA and all light beings I interfaced with whom I fondly consider family, mentors and colleagues. Including wise strangers in random places and the not so pleasant beings.
Importantly, for my familial roots with humanitarian, worldly and artistic values. Finally, my dear beloved sister, for being my inspiration and muse. Where at the end of her life brought a renewed sense of purpose in mine… to continue helping others, ultimately healing the world through my own little but profound ways. A heart-felt thanks to you all ^_^
I am available for live painting, dancing, singing and other artistic modality you have in mind.
Let’s get creative and collaborate in the Arts!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.LaelaDuncan.com
- Instagram: @laeladuncanartist
- Youtube: @LaelaDuncan
Debut performance of C’est Si Bon, a new LA-based Jazz-Latin-Rock group, with Crispin Barrymore as music director, singer and multi-instrumentalist, Laela Duncan on vocals, Doug Osborne on guitar, and Juan Manuel Diaz on harmonica. Shandy Master June (not in photo), is also a singer-songwriter and guitarist.
Image Credits
Main photo: Laela captured in her cheerful flow amid her live performance painting during a beautiful soirée event in Downtown LA.
Top to bottom:
Opening act for John Legend during his album launch in Hong Kong, shortly after releasing her album with Sony Music. Laela was accompanied by the uber talented, actor, model and singer, +Tor.
Laela was one of the guest featured artists in collaboration with the esteemed Vienna Operetta Orchestra, during their world tour with conductor Siegfried Andraschek.
Beautiful mademoiselle patron-turned-friend wearing her Legacy ARTwear “Mystique Goddess” dress. A favorite!
Contemporary Artist & Tibetan buddhist monk, Lama Tashi Norbu, with Laela after graciously blessing her work “Legacy of Love” amid an exhibition and open house in an amazing green screen recording studio in Santa Monica California, Green Room 365 Live, last April 2025. www. Greenroom365live.com
With her painting “Happy No Matter What”, in her latest exhibition in the captivating bG Gallery, at the internationally-renowned Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, last June-July 2025. This piece is a reminder to cultivate our inner state of contentment and well-being that transcends external circumstances, focusing on positive emotions and finding joy in the present moment, regardless of life’s challenges. Particularly in this time of uncertainty, chaos and sadness.
Lastly, lovely onlookers of her painting “Happy No Matter What” and last photo, “In Meditation”. Rembrandt’s son Titus, in a state of deep relaxation with a playful and coy smile lost in his own mysterious imagination. Guess what he is to thinking!
