Collection: Kitty Leaken

Kitty Leaken Photography

     Kitty Leaken moved to New Mexico after graduating Stanford University with a degree in history. She grew up overseas to parents in the diplomatic service, and her interests in culture and anthropology that brought her to Santa Fe have guided her work around Tibetan immigrants, Sri Lankan orphanages and Native American artists.

She practiced photojournalism at the Santa Fe Reporter and the Santa Fe New Mexican. 

Her photographs of a community of Tibetans in Santa Fe were featured in an award-winning special section in The New Mexican, in a year long exhibit at the Museum of International Art, a documentary , Dance of Young Nomads, and in the book Art of Exile: Paintings by Tibetan Children in India. 

Leaken photographed Native American communities for the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, and the books Contemporary Native American Artists and Kevin Red Star: Crow Indian Artist, in addition to the cookbooks, including Cooking with Cafe Pasqual's with Katharine Kagel.

Her portraits were featured in the 2023 exhibit Honoring Tradition and Innovation: 100 Years in Santa Fe's Indian Market at the New Mexico History Museum. Most recently Leaken was the photo editor and photographer foe the award winning book Mah Waan: Welcome , The Story of Picuris Pueblo and Hotel Santa Fe and the forthcoming Craftsmanship online feature, Granddaughters of Clay.