Today, it is an honor to present you with the unparalleled Oh de Laval. I have been fascinated by Oh’s graphic, erotic, and often bloodstained art for a while now, and it was such a pleasure to be in the same art exhibition with her last year in Tokyo.
Oh de Laval was born in Warsaw, Poland, and now lives in Paris. Her work has been exhibited worldwide in several galleries and museums, and she is a highly sought-after artist by an eclectic mix of fans.
Oh! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to me. Please introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Oh de Laval, and I’m a painter.
You have a rich international background, from being born to a Polish mother and Thai father in Warsaw to living in London to now being based in Paris. How have these places and your cultural heritage influenced and shaped your approach to your practice?
Oh: Like many modern immigrants who live long abroad, I feel like a tourist in the city where I grew up and I don’t feel like a local in the city I live. Anywhere and everywhere feels like home, but I wouldn’t say that it shaped my approach to my practice; I would say that I am more influenced by people I met in my life; certain people are home to me, not places.
You have stated before that you see yourself as a painter, not an artist. How do you see your role in society and your work contributing to the broader conversation in contemporary art and societal issues?
Oh: Yes, in my opinion not every painter is an artist and not every craftwork is an artwork. I don’t see any specific role for myself in society, I do work about being a woman in modern world.
Complementing your visual dialect is your choice of titles. Playful, direct, unfiltered, humorous. Can you share how they connect to the meaning you want to convey with each painting? Are they meant to be explanatory or add to the playfulness value?
Oh: Titles of my paintings are the extension of poetry of each artwork. Never there to explain but to add value.
Your work explores humanity’s darker, perhaps more absurd side with a sense of humor and brutal honesty. Could we delve deeper into your work’s underlying themes and sources of influence and inspiration?
Oh: I’m inspired by people, their emotions, and their decision-making. I believe everyone’s life is a comedy/drama- it has its good and bad moments, sometimes very entangled, and that’s what I try to capture in my paintings.
You once stated, “I paint to taste life twice: in the moment and in the retrospection.” Please share with our readers what this means.
Oh: Good moments in life pass very quickly, sometimes so quickly we can’t enjoy them fully in the moment. On the painting you can enjoy it for as long as you want, you can also come back to the moment of pleasure whenever you want.
Throughout your works, you balance the erotic, macabre, eccentric, and beautiful so well. What may appear romantic from afar has, in fact, a playful, often unsettling edge. What does the portrayal of eroticism in your paintings mean for you?
Oh: Life, it’s the erotic energy of aliveness. Not in a modern narrow meaning but the playfulness of each erotic engagement, letting the guard down and being in the moment.
By studying your art, I have always felt that the female subjects in your works have the upper hand and are, in fact, overpowering men. Do you agree with such observation, and is feminism one of the subjects of your art?
Oh: That is an opinion which I disagree with. I believe that being a woman is a superpower and we can use many different camouflages, so my paintings are more about the variety of camouflages we have in our womanhood and how can we use them.
Do you think art should always send a message, evoke emotions, and leave an impact, or can it simply exist for aesthetics?
Oh: I think art should at least evoke some emotions; it can only exist for aesthetics, but that’s not for me.
Jackson Pollock once said that painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is. What is your take on this?
Oh: I don’t think modern painters paint who they are. Nowadays, many painters are very skilled but lack creativity, and people who are not associated with art are easily pleased with the skill, overlooking the fantasy, which we need much more than realism in the current world.
You have successfully used the power of social platforms like Instagram to establish yourself in the art world, circumvent perhaps the most elitist aspects of it, and create your own following and brand. Was this easy to achieve, and what would you advise a new artist ready to embark on their art journey?
Oh: Nothing worth achieving is easy. A real artist is an artist in all aspects of their life, not only in the medium they are working with. It’s in the way you dress, eat, talk and carry yourself. I would advise a new artist bravery.
How do you react when asked to explain your work, and what is your approach to criticism, constructive or not?
Oh: I do not wish my works to be explained as they are pretty illustrative; I like to hear the interpretation of people who see them for the first time; it’s like looking into their souls. I don’t mind criticism; you’ll never learn anything from the compliment.
One of your paintings will be exhibited at Christie’s in London soon; first, congratulations, and second, would you like to expand more on this, the painting itself, etc.?
Oh: About the painting, the world is getting more and more cruel and desensitized. The work I present here is about people who have power and are not scared of the consequences of their decisions because they feel like they are too powerful to be ever punished. It’s also about that the most scary person is the one that has nothing to lose.
What does a regular day look like for you in Paris, and how would you describe a perfect day?
Oh: Everyone who lives in Paris knows that a regular day in Paris doesn’t exist as Parisians hate routine. I usually wake up, work, and in the afternoon, I’m spontaneous. A perfect day is a day where I’m happy with the progress of my work, and it ends up with a friend and a good meal.
What simple pleasures bring you alive?
Oh: The same for everyone: good company, good food, and good sex.
What is your favorite movie and why, and what song or genre of music are you currently listening to the most?
Oh: Movies: I am a proper Cinephile, so my list of favorite movies is long, but still, my favorite movie is “Hereditary” by Ari Aster. As for me, it ticks so many boxes sonically, coloristically, visually, etc. Music: Same, I was never one genre music person. I would say Black Sabbath to hype myself up/Santana to tone down, NYC hip hop for everything in between, but in general, I listen to many more.
What’s next for Oh De Laval?
Oh: I don’t like to talk about unfinished ideas, but many exciting projects.
Finally, what are you welcoming in for the year ahead, and what are you releasing yourself from?
Oh: Welcoming peace and calmness. Releasing fear to do anything, life is shorter than we think.
Profile picture by Warwan