Laylah Ali

Laylah Ali
Born Buffalo, New York
Nationality American
Known for Painting

Laylah Ali (born 1968, Buffalo, New York[1]) is a contemporary visual artist known for paintings in which ambiguous race relations are depicted with a graphic clarity and cartoon strip format.[2]

Early life and education

Ali received her B.A. (English and Studio Art) from Williams College, Williamstown, MA and her M.F.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. She lives and works in Williamstown, Massachusetts.[1] She is currently a professor at Williams College.[3]

Work

The subject of Ali's most well-known gouache paintings are the Greenheads – characters designed to minimize or eliminate categorical differences of gender, height, age, and in some ways race.[4] The works are small scale gouache paintings and drawings on paper. She is known to prepare for many months, planning out every detail so there are no room for mistakes. Ali says she will one brush for one color and will label the brushes so there is no cross contamination amongst brushes. Ali's work is based on life experiences although you may not be able to tell through her work, she says all of her work has meanings and that what's in her mind comes out through her hands on paper.[5]

Collaborations

Laylah Ali collaborated with dancer choreographer Dean Moss in a project at The Kitchen in 2005, which was named Figures on a Field.[6]

Exhibitions

Selected exhibitions

Laylah Ali has exhibited in both the Venice Biennial (2003) and the Whitney Biennial (2004)[5]

Other exhibitions are as follows:

References

  1. 1 2 Baker, Alex (2007) Laylah Ali: Typology. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. p. 47. ISBN 9780943836300
  2. Cotter, Holland (2000). "ART IN REVIEW; Laylah Ali" (June 30). The New York Times. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  3. "Laylah Ali: The Greenheads Series". http://museum.cornell.edu/. Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University. Retrieved 17 March 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  4. Ali, Laylah. "Interview." Laylah Ali. By Rebecca Walker. The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, 2001.
  5. 1 2 "Laylah Ali". http://www.pbs.org. ART21, Inc. 2001–2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  6. Cornuelle, Kimberly (4 November 2010). "Laylah Ali on Greenheads, Violence in Art, and More". Boston University. Retrieved 17 March 2015.

External links

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