Exhibitions & fairs
SUPERMAN BEYOND THE CAPE: DJ LEON & LESLIE LEW
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Madelyn Jordon Fine Art is pleased to present SUPERMAN BEYOND THE CAPE, an exhibition of new works by DJ LEON and LESLIE LEW, on view from August 1 – September 5, 2025. An opening reception will be held on Friday, August 8, 2025. This marks the first joint exhibition between the artists, and the public is welcome to attend.
SUPERMAN BEYOND THE CAPE explores the rich legacy and cultural evolution of Superman over more than 80 years as a pop culture icon. Through distinct mediums and perspectives, both artists delve into the enduring heroism and mythos of the Man of Steel, tracing his transformation across generations. The recent release of the new Superman movie reaffirms his enduring cultural power—a figure who continues to live vividly in our collective imagination. Across generations, children and adults alike look to him as an aspirational symbol of who we are, and who we hope America can be. More than a tribute to a legendary superhero, this exhibition reflects the American ideal itself—a mirror of our values, our imagination, and the heroes we strive to become.
As a youth in the 1950's, DJ Leon was inspired by Superman as an aspirational figure and hero. Superman, as played on TV by George Reeves, represented the possibility that every kid can be a Superman in their own right. DJ Leon fuses collage, photography, and text to construct layered compositions that probe the intersections of pop culture, art history, and media imagery. Central to his practice is the figure of Superman—a recurring motif through which Leon unpacks ideas of masculinity, myth, and cultural nostalgia.
Each composition is meticulously built with images that are altered, embellished, and repositioned with careful attention. Superman, in his hands, becomes a vessel of both critique and play, a symbol distorted and remixed to reflect the timelessness of Superman and the adaptability of the hero in the digital age.
DJ Leon was not formally trained. A longtime, avid photography enthusiast, Leon began devoting himself exclusively to a photo-based practice after retiring from Wall Street in 2009. His work has been exhibited in prominent institutions and is part of several esteemed permanent collections, including the Super Museum, the world’s largest museum dedicated to Superman.
Among Leslie Lew’s most iconic and resonant motifs is Superman, whom she transforms from a comic book archetype into a symbol of nostalgic Americana. Her Superman paintings are not mere homages; they are cultural excavations, rendered in vibrant sculpted oil paint, steeped in both personal memory and collective identity. In Lew’s hands, Superman becomes a lens through which we view postwar optimism, nostalgia, and the enduring allure of American exceptionalism.
Born in New York City in 1953, Leslie Lew has spent her career exploring the visual language of American childhood. Her father was a well-known executive art director, and her subject matter was strongly influenced by the ads and products that surrounded her. This exposure deeply shaped her artistic voice, which reflects a fascination with the symbols, characters, and brands that defined postwar American culture. At the heart of Lew’s practice is her signature “sculpted oils” technique, a lush, tactile process she’s honed over more than twenty-five years. With thick, swirling paint she animates her subjects with reverence for their graphic power.
Leslie Lew lives and works near Peekskill, NY. She has been a professor at the College of New Rochelle, and was selected for the Westchester Biennial 2006, and 2008. She received a grant for a children's book she wrote and illustrated called, "Buki's Garden". Her work has been included in art book publications, "Encyclopedia of Living Artists in America", "East Village: A Guide, A Documentary", "East Village 86" "Comic Release- Negotiating Identity for a New Generation, and "The Margulies Collection- at the Warehouse." Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Sofia, Bulgaria.
