In the course of the pandemic, once we sat down with Layla Andrews in a print interview, she stated to us, “I believe greater than loud, it can be crucial for me that artwork reaches folks. As time has passed by, I’ve discovered that crucial factor for me, inside my work, is that folks can join or work together with it in some human capability. I consider that storytelling is thematic inside my work. Artwork isn’t right here to serve a choose few, it ought to be inclusive and encourage folks from all backgrounds to really feel one thing from it.”
Soho Revue is proud to current Flies in Amber, a solo exhibition by Layla Andrews. This marks the gallery’s third solo present with the artist, who’s at present a studio holder at Tracey Emin’s TKE Studios in Margate.
On this new physique of labor, Layla Andrews delves deeper into her exploration of human emotion and storytelling by means of a collection of work the place anthropomorphic crocodiles take middle stage. By substituting human figures with these crocodilian characters, Andrews creates a deliberate sense of distance, providing viewers a second of pause to foster each empathy and introspection. The crocodile, a creature symbolising knowledge and resilience, serves as a metaphor for survival and endurance throughout time. Having existed lengthy earlier than humanity, its outstanding capability to adapt and persist is a central theme in Andrews’ work.
The exhibition title, Flies in Amber, attracts a poignant parallel between the stillness of an insect preserved in resin and the act of capturing fleeting moments in time. This notion of one thing suspended but eternally preserved displays the fragile stability between life’s transience and its enduring essence. “It’s about seeing our humanity mirrored again in surprising types, ” Andrews explains.
By her work, Andrews seeks to specific the essence of being alive, reflecting on the feelings, tales, and fragments of id that form who we’re. Her apply is deeply rooted in her private historical past, drawing inspiration from her mixed-race heritage, working-class upbringing, and the matriarchal family through which she was raised. These experiences enrich her exploration of each particular person and collective narratives, making her work profoundly private and universally resonant.
