About
Laila Aleem’s artistry as an actor and photographer has allowed her to share stories across cultures, time, and space. Born on O’ahu to two military parents, Laila spent much of her childhood moving across the Southern United States while blossoming her skills in acting, singing, and dance. At 13, she was accepted into Charleston County School of the Arts as a theater major, where she practiced her craft daily and spent a month of her summer studying theater at Julliard.
By the time she started college at New York University, Laila’s foundation as an artist was solid. Through collaborating with Tisch School of the Arts, she acted in student films, performed in a showcase, and served as events chair for “The Collective”, a Tisch organization geared towards uplifting Black artists across the university. She did this while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Global Public Health and Sociology, which provided the lens that would later inform her photography.
At 19, Laila flew solo to Sydney, Australia to further her academic studies, especially concentrating on history, environmental health justice, and health policy. Interning at the University of Sydney’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, Laila worked on a project to implement free, filtered water fountains to remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Here, she learned the importance of ethics when documenting the lives of others. It was in Sydney that Laila first thought of capturing the world around her. With no money for a professional camera, Laila made do with her Samsung Galaxy S9, capturing the Sydney Opera House, kangaroos, and surfers at Manly beach.
Laila eventually purchased her first camera in 2023, the same year she returned to Oahu for the first time in 20 years. Through framing silhouettes of beachgoers at Waikiki, capturing cultural practices at the Polynesian Cultural Center, and saving moments of sunset at Ko’Olina, she discovered a brand new passion: photography. This passion grew over the years as Laila, now “Lai”, captured dreamy shots of Old San Juan at dusk, vibrant shots of New Orleans during Mardi Gras, and honest scenes of the Jamaican countryside.
By February 2026, Laila dedicated a solo trip to photograph surfers on the North Shore of Oahu during the winter season. Venturing early each morning, she drove to Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline to witness professionals surf the massive 20-foot waves that were once ridden by legends such as Eddie Aikau. Though she didn’t catch The Eddie that year, she experienced a surf competition that was just as special: Buffalo’s 49th Annual Big Board Annual Surfing Classic. Here, she captured longboard surfers of all ages not only riding the waves, but executing ten tricks while staying on the board, many of whom surfed in tandem. Laila not only felt the magic of Mākaha, but she was able to capture it in a way that resonated with the local community. The organizers of the competition, the Ho’oma’a Foundation, included all of the photos and videos Laila shared to their official Instagram page, reaching 25,000 people.
Today, Laila continues to document people and groups authentically. In June, she collaborated with the Calvary Icons Project, covering a poetry reading with author Kendra Hamilton and Peter Mackay, the National Poet for Scotland. Laila also had the honor of partnering with the International African American Museum, capturing events from their 2026 Gullah-inspired summer camp. Through songwriting with Mahogany the Artist, Indigo dying with Charleston County Parks, and storytelling with Camp Geechee, Black youth were able to explore and express creativity while being rooted in their cultural pride. Laila especially enjoyed pouring into the future generation, which she hopes to continue to do as a photographer.
