About

Chris Leslie is an award-winning photographer, filmmaker, and director based in Glasgow, Scotland. His practice is primarily concerned with documenting processes of urban transformation and the lived experiences of marginalised individuals, groups, and communities.

Over the course of his career, Leslie has produced extensive visual documentation across Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Africa, in addition to his sustained engagement with the city of Glasgow. His photographic essays and written work have appeared in The Guardian, and his critically acclaimed multimedia project and accompanying publication, Disappearing Glasgow, offers a detailed chronicle of the city’s regeneration positioning Leslie as one of its most consistent and insightful chroniclers.

His long-term body of work, A Balkan Journey, constitutes a poignant exploration of post-conflict recovery and reconstruction in the former Yugoslavia. Spanning twenty-five years, the project foregrounds the enduring psychological and physical legacies of war while examining the role of memory, resilience, and collective identity in processes of reconciliation and rebuilding.

Leslie’s photographic work is held in the permanent collection of the National Galleries of Scotland, as well as in various private collections. As a filmmaker, Leslie’s debut feature-length documentary, Finding Family (2014), was the recipient of two Scottish BAFTAs in the New Talent category and two Golden Apple Awards at the BHFF NYC Festival.

Leslie’s current film project, The Partisan Necropolis is conceived as both a feature-length and a television documentary. It investigates the contested heritage of the Partisan Memorial Cemetery in Mostar, tracing the site’s political, cultural, and symbolic significance within contemporary debates on memory, preservation, and identity in post-conflict societies.

His current Visual Arts Project – The Last Foundations marks thirty years since the demolition of Ravenscraig’s steelworks, once central to Lanarkshire’s identity and economy. Focusing on the remaining cooling tower foundations, the project brings together film, photography, oral histories, and archival material—created in collaboration with former workers and residents—to reflect on its lasting impact. Led by Chris Leslie, it will be shared through exhibitions, digital platforms, and a public programme culminating at North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre in Autumn 2026.