yla

Interdisciplinary artist. 365 days drawing.

[yla @YlaWork]

Hello! I’m Yessica Leaño, a Colombian artist passionate about merging art with knowledge.
My goal is not just to capture your attention with striking images, but also to invite you to reflect and awaken your curiosity.
🧵🪡

[yla @YlaWork]

Hi!

[yla @YlaWork]

Pende Ivory Pendant. My drawing 250/365 V4.0

Carved from ivory and worn on the body, this tiny Pende pendant was more than decoration. Its stylized human face also served as a symbol of protection.

[yla @YlaWork]

Pende Ivory Pendant. My drawing 250/365 V4.0

Carved from ivory and worn on the body, this tiny Pende pendant was more than decoration. Its stylized human face also served as a symbol of protection.

[yla @YlaWork]

Hi!

[yla @YlaWork]

Yorùbá Neck Ring. My drawing 249/365 V4.0

More than an ornament, this heavy copper-alloy neck ring could make wealth literally visible on the body. Its bold form reflects how jewelry could unite status, material value, and identity.

[yla @YlaWork]

Yorùbá Neck Ring. My drawing 249/365 V4.0

More than an ornament, this heavy copper-alloy neck ring could make wealth literally visible on the body. Its bold form reflects how jewelry could unite status, material value, and identity.

[yla @YlaWork]

Hi!

[yla @YlaWork]

Tuareg Pendant from Gao. Mi dibujo 248/365 V4.0

Built from crosses, diamonds, curves, and circles, this small Tuareg pendant turns metal into a striking geometric composition. Acquired in Gao, it still preserves a fragment of its journey from Mali to the British Museum.

[yla @YlaWork]

Tuareg Pendant from Gao. Mi dibujo 248/365 V4.0

Built from crosses, diamonds, curves, and circles, this small Tuareg pendant turns metal into a striking geometric composition. Acquired in Gao, it still preserves a fragment of its journey from Mali to the British Museum.

[yla @YlaWork]

Enclosing centuries within a circle of lines: the gold ring of the priest Sienamun, where each stroke seems to revolve around an identity that time refused to erase.🔆

Take a look at the result and the full story, on my profile and on Instagram (link in bio). Hope you like it!

[yla @YlaWork]

Hi!

[yla @YlaWork]

Bead in the Form of a Shell. My drawing 247/365 V4.0

Only 1.5 cm long, this tiny gold bead has survived for nearly four thousand years. Found in Tomb 308 at Haraga, its simple shell form turned a small piece of gold into a lasting trace of Middle Kingdom Egypt.

[yla @YlaWork]

Bead in the Form of a Shell. My drawing 247/365 V4.0

Only 1.5 cm long, this tiny gold bead has survived for nearly four thousand years. Found in Tomb 308 at Haraga, its simple shell form turned a small piece of gold into a lasting trace of Middle Kingdom Egypt.

[yla @YlaWork]

Hi!

[yla @YlaWork]

Fang Neck Ring. My drawing 246/365 V4.0

Worn in pairs by married women, this heavy copper-alloy neck ring expressed status, marriage, and wealth. More than ornament, it could function as value literally carried on the body.

[yla @YlaWork]

Fang Neck Ring. My drawing 246/365 V4.0

Worn in pairs by married women, this heavy copper-alloy neck ring expressed status, marriage, and wealth. More than ornament, it could function as value literally carried on the body.

[yla @YlaWork]

Hi!

[yla @YlaWork]

Luba Ivory Pendant. My drawing 245/365 V4.0

Carved from ivory, this small Luba pendant was worn close to the body as a link to ancestral wisdom. Its warm caramel patina still preserves traces of a life once lived with it.

[yla @YlaWork]

Luba Ivory Pendant. My drawing 245/365 V4.0

Carved from ivory, this small Luba pendant was worn close to the body as a link to ancestral wisdom. Its warm caramel patina still preserves traces of a life once lived with it.

[yla @YlaWork]

Hi!

[yla @YlaWork]

Gold Ring of the Priest Sienamun. My drawing 244/365 V4.0

Just 3 cm wide, this simple gold ring preserved the name of Sienamun for about 2,600 years. A few hieroglyphs turned jewelry into memory.

[yla @YlaWork]

Gold Ring of the Priest Sienamun. My drawing 244/365 V4.0

Just 3 cm wide, this simple gold ring preserved the name of Sienamun for about 2,600 years. A few hieroglyphs turned jewelry into memory.

[yla @YlaWork]

August 2026… If my work brings you joy, you can support it with a Ko-fi tip (link in my profile) so we can keep discovering and learning fascinating stories through my drawings. Thank you for helping keep my art alive. 💜

[yla @YlaWork]

Hi!

[yla @YlaWork]

Mackay Emerald Necklace.

From the mines of Muzo to Cartier, this spectacular Art Deco necklace turns a 167.97-carat Colombian emerald into its radiant centerpiece. Surrounded by 35 emeralds and 2,191 diamonds, it is now part of the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection.

[yla @YlaWork]

Mackay Emerald Necklace.

From the mines of Muzo to Cartier, this spectacular Art Deco necklace turns a 167.97-carat Colombian emerald into its radiant centerpiece. Surrounded by 35 emeralds and 2,191 diamonds, it is now part of the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection.

[yla @YlaWork]

Hi!

[yla @YlaWork]

Van Cleef & Arpels Zip Necklace.

A zipper turned into High Jewelry: articulated, functional, and unexpectedly elegant. With moving teeth, precious stones, and convertible designs, the Zip transformed an everyday mechanism into one of Van Cleef & Arpels’ most iconic creations.

[yla @YlaWork]

Van Cleef & Arpels Zip Necklace.

A zipper turned into High Jewelry: articulated, functional, and unexpectedly elegant. With moving teeth, precious stones, and convertible designs, the Zip transformed an everyday mechanism into one of Van Cleef & Arpels’ most iconic creations.