Leah Aripotch is a metal sculptor based in Oakland, California. She was born is 1987 and raised in Montauk, New York. She received her BFA from Academy of Art University in 2012. In tandem with her graduation, she designed and built a line of jewelry for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in collaboration with MFA Fashion designer, Teresa Field and Textiles designer, James Thai. Snake Bag, a sculptural handbag made for that collaboration, has since been published in Metalsmith Magazine and CAST, a coffee table book featuring art and objects made using humanity’s most transformational process. Upon graduating, Leah began a paid apprenticeship at a commercial fabrication shop in San Francisco under the mentorship of Brian Martin. Since 2015, she has focused exclusively on fine art sculpture. Her work has been exhibited across the country at venues such as the National Museum of Metal, the Fuller Craft Museum, Museum of Museums, and the Wayne Art Center. She lives in Oakland with her husband and two cats and builds monsters and aliens out of her metal shop.