O. Lala

Born in 1983

Iran

https://olalastudio.it/

date of insertion W.A.D. 06/2022

Biography

I was born in 1983 and raised in an Islamic country with so many limitation and restrictions and Islamic rules, I was interested in painting from childhood and since then I learned to express all my feelings and thoughts by art, I got my bachelor degree in painting in my home country never the less I moved to The Netherlands in 2012 to get my master degree in Fine arts and also to experience a new life and new works in a democratic and consociational state. I graduated in 2014 and since then I live and work between my motherland and somewhere abroad. So that I still go to my home country I decided to take a nickname since 2019 for my safety as my artworks are against the government rules.

Main theme in my current works is the contemporary representation of femininity, love and sexuality (pornography). My work takes a critical view on undeniable facts and events that are happening all over the world at this very moment. I work within a wide range of media: painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, fashion, writing and performance.

There are many discussion between different religious scholars, psychologists and philosophers about female sexuality researched in written history and texts. Within this broad field I strongly reject some canonical views by so called ‘leading experts’ in the field and I want to challenge them by expressing new ideas and statements. To my believe the point of view of an artist can still –especially in this day and age -, open new windows for society at large.

I am a female artist who is familiar with the Islamic rules and I have experienced myself the effects of these laws upon my personal life. I also have seen many women like myself under the mental and social influences of these rules. These impressions are expressively reflected within my work. Hence, the work itself is about the reality of social, political and religious effects upon me personal. And maybe even to a certain extent, by dispersion, on Islamic women in general.

Curriculum

Education:

2014 Master of fine arts, AKV|st. Joost, S-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

2007 Bachelor of painting

Projects and Activities:

2019 two months art residency at Witte Rook, Breda, The Netherlands

2014 Self-published book, “There was a little bit of devil in her angel eyes”

2013 a month residency, Wolke, Brussels, Belgium

Interviews:

https://witterook.nu/artikelen/as-above-so-below-conversation-with-o-lala/

Selected Exhibitions:

2022 “Series”, with: O.lala, Ruben Raven, Kasper Dejong, Gijs van Lith,  Josilda da Conceicao gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2019 “The Fragility of being”, solo show, Witte Rook, Breda, The Netherlands

2016 “Susy Culinski and friends”, sexual feminine artists, curator: Beatrice Marchi, Fanta Spazio gallery, Milan, Italy

2015 “Perroquet”, Loods 12, Wetteren, Belgium

with: O. Lala, Paulina Inez Mellado, Sanne Jansen, Herman Van Ingelgem, Fiona

Mackay, Pol Matthé, Frederik Van Simaey, Liza Wolters, curator: Bas van den Hurk

2014 “Function of myth”, with: O. Lala, Paulina Inez Mellado, Dimitris Rentoumis, Yukari

Matsumoto, Alexandros Kaklamanos, curator: Thomas I’Anson, Club Solo, Breda, The

Netherlands

2013 “Wolke”, Wolke residency, Brussels, Belgium

2013 “House-warming”, with: O.Lala, Paulina Inez Mellado, Dimitris Rentoumis, Yukari

Matsumoto, Alexandros Kaklamanos, S-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands