^{orla kurkierewicz toland} 

Orla Kurkierewicz Toland  (b.1999, Derby, UK) is currently finishing their MA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, UAL in London and graduated with a BA in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL in 2022.

Orla works with the idea of the queer archive and what it means to re-archive queer media. Their work has mostly been concerned with repurposing sapphic media, such as The L Word (2004), and examining personal histories that have been consequential to their identity. Most recently, their work engages with the ‘loop’, a feature used on algorithmic platforms in which a video continually plays, such as in fan edits. Within these loops lies a space, the comment section, in which queer people can act out their desires.

More recently, their focus has shifted towards the industrial and the use of industrial materials. Growing up in Derby, with a family rooted in the trades and grandparents who moved from different countries and places to work in factories across the East Midlands, they have developed a strong interest in factory signage and industrial materials. Orla is interested in how the industrial landscape can intersect with queer identity and humour.

Humour has become a central element of their practice, serving to translate more personal experiences into immediate and relatable moments. They view humour as equally meaningful as “serious work” and as a means of being more truthful and honest.



education
ba fine art - chelsea college of arts, ual (2019-2022)
ma fine art- central saint martins college of arts, ual (2024-2026)