Tom is one of the sons of the late Eric LEAPER, a potter of Newlyn. He grew up near the Iron Age village of Carn Euny. After undertaking a Foundation course at Falmouth School of Art, Tom completed a BA in Fine Art in Manchester, then returned home to west Penwith.

A conceptual artist, Tom has worked with Penzance Town Council on various projects to upgrade the street environment of the town including attention to the materials used for amenities such as benches, statuary, and a series of way markers for local heritage trails. 

A miniature of his bronze sculpture 'Memorial to Lost Fishermen', which is located behind the Newlyn Art Gallery on Newlyn Green (unveiled by Princess Anne in 2007), was presented by its creator to a French museum in 2011. Newlyn and Concarneau are twinned villages and both feature strongly in the history of art as well as the history and present-day life of fishing ports.