On the Surface is a solo exhibition of works by fashion illustrator and artist Joanna Layla, exploring the beautiful tension of surface and depth in fashion imagery. Material and metaphorical, On the Surface embraces both the superficial, the beauty of surface, and the implication of layers – of stories, craftsmanship and authenticity — beneath.
Created in ink, On the Surface explores the material. The play of surface, texture and form. Epitomising Layla’s unique style, translucent layers of expressive ink disperse on the surface of the page, clinging to the flaws of the paper, and finding beauty in its imperfection. And then the ink itself is rendered celluloid as Layla plays with the perception of the surface by hand-finishing prints in counter-intuitive crayon and pastel. Like a child’s mark making on a wall. Like fingerprints on the lovingly turned pages of a fashion magazine.
Created and installed for London Fashion Week and featuring brands Layla has worked with at LFW including Adrianne Eber and De Fichier, On the Surface is an ode to London and to the city’s fashion — an irresistible surface of interwoven identities and narratives.
Joanna Layla – Artist Biography
Joanna Layla is a London-based fashion illustrator and contemporary artist. Her unique style applies fluid brushstrokes and refined composition to fashion artwork. Communicating both beauty and concept, she has worked with numerous brands including Miu Miu, Adidas, the V&A and E.L.V. Denim.
Layla’s intuitive process of working by hand in ink brings spontaneity and movement to fashion imagery. Seeking to capture the energy and emotion of a moment in time, Layla aspires to an image that has depth whilst retaining something minimal in its surface, inviting the viewer to complete the picture.
Her original compositions and distinct aesthetic have been commissioned as fashion editorials for numerous publications and she regularly works live with brands at LFW. Layla was commissioned to lead ‘Drawing Chanel’ for Coco Chanel: Fashion Manifesto this year at the V&A and is a featured artist in the New Fashion Illustration: 50 Essential Contemporary Artists. Layla is represented by House of Juba, Fashion Artist Agency, and for her original artworks by galleries in London, France, New York, and Amsterdam. www.joannalayla.com / @joannalayla
Joanna Layla | Fashion Illustrator
www.instagram.com/joannalayla/
Represented by House of Juba www.houseofjuba.co.uk
Solo Show ‘On the Surface’ at Roundhouse London 08.02.24 — 10.03.24 for London Fashion Week.
Gallery Representation — New York @spaceystudios | France @acidgallery | London @bleur_art | Amsterdam @Iloveillustrationgallery