Many artists have muses, and painter Nixon Leger is no exception. But his muse—the plantain leaf—springs from the earth. It might seem like an odd choice, but for Leger, who grew up in Haiti where the banana-like fruit is a staple, it makes sense.

“I fell in love with the plantain leaf as a child,’’ says Leger. “The leaves have different shapes and colors. I love when they grow long, then break and go back to the main trunk, starting over. It’s the cycle of life.’’

Plantains figure prominently in his paintings, recently exhibited at URI’s Feinstein Providence Campus, where he’s a student. He’s known as the “guy of banana leaves,’’ a title he not only cultivates but appreciates. “Putting them in my paintings says, ‘This is mine.’ ”

His journey from the impoverished Caribbean nation to URI is a story of grit and determination, fueled by a unique program for older students. Leger obtained his college art degree in Haiti, but in 2008, when he moved to the United States, he discovered it was mostly useless.

Since English was not his primary language, he needed extra academic help, so he enrolled in URI’s Learning Enhancement for Adults Program, or LEAP. He honed his reading and writing skills and is now taking sociology and philosophy classes, with plans to transfer to the Kingston campus for his art degree.

“I appreciate everything URI has done for me,’’ he says. He’s also grateful to URI for supporting his art. His exhibit on the Feinstein campus won rave reviews. Needless to say, his plantains stole the show.