About
Mona Elliott - Owner & Director
Mona Elliott with Somalian and English decent, was born on January 31, 1983 in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, Africa and acquired a Tanzanian citizenship. With Mona's father born Canadian, with parents from England and Scotland, and mother born Somalian, she was immersed in both heritages with culture, music, dance, art and fashion. Mona is from her grandfather's tribe on her mother's side called Isakia, established by British Colony and Somaliland heritage. At a young age, Mona and her family moved to Canada and in her late teens, she flourished in the fashion industry as a model and also in the sales industry with direct sales, managing, coaching, and marketing. In her early 20's, Mona enrolled in business school graduating with marketing communications, entrepreneurship, web design, and digital creation. As Mona evolved, her passion for business evolved and was always pursuing self driven careers.
My experience
Today, Mona Elliott continues to passionately celebrate talented Indigenous artists and their passions. Mona has had beautiful experiences learning and attending traditional potlatches and ceremonies. Each time, taking away knowledge and a deep appreciation for the rich history of ancestral stories and art and with each experience inspiring her to feel more connected to her African roots.
In 2018, Mona Elliott started Leaf Modern Gallery as an online platform to celebrate the beauty of West Coast contemporary Indigenous art while creating international accessibility to art prints and wearable art. In 2021, Leaf Modern Gallery expanded into a retail/workshop space where art enthusiasts could visit, admire, and appreciate culture, art works, wearable art, floor art, and more.
My vision
With Leaf Modern Gallery as a platform to inspire, Mona plans to create programs such as artist in residence programs and various workshops for youth and established artists. Along with providing opportunities for artists to grow their practices by offering international web presence, art shows, beautiful gallery representation, brand and design development, and creative commissions. More currently, Mona is exploring combining her African heritage in the gallery by introducing contemporary African art and Artists in the near future!
"I am grateful everyday to be among stunning works and representing ambitious and talented artists. Their passion inspires me!" - M.E.