Leslie Sasaki is a sansei art educator and artist living in Hamilton, Ontario. He was born in Winnipeg in 1953 to George Sasaki (b. Annacis Island, BC) and Rosa Adeline Sasaki (nee Takatsu, b. Hainey, BC) His formative artistic influences include his father, who was a sign painter and his mother, who encouraged her children to draw and who enrolled them in art lessons at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Sasaki went on to formal art and design training at Red River Community College, the University of Manitoba and NSCAD (NSCAD University).
He has taught painting, drawing, design and art history at the University of Manitoba, the University of Victoria, NSCAD University, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador and is presently teaching at Sheridan College in Ontario. In addition, he has curated several exhibitions, sat on juries for provincial and national purchase programs and facilitated mural projects within learning institutions. His work can be found in the collections of the Province of Nova Scotia, Dalhousie University, the Province of Newfoundland , the Canada Council Art Bank and in several private collections.
He lives in Hamilton, Ontario with his wife, Jennifer Kaye and their several cats.
