Layla Andrews England, b. 1997

Layla Andrews explores the complexities of the human condition and how we navigate, endure, and make sense of the world. Rooted in emotional experience, her paintings reflect the duality of our fragility and our resilience.

 

Andrews is interested in how storytelling weaves through intergenerational and personal narratives, her paintings often alluding to a sense of memory and loss. Through layered symbolism, the interplay of joy and grief, and familiarity with the surreal, she traces configurations of identity, memory, and belonging- hoping that these deeply personal works reflect our complex, often contradictory, shared human experience. She draws upon her mixed-race heritage and working-class upbringing, shaped within a matriarchal household, to inform and enrich her creative process. Her work is grounded in the belief that art should be inclusive and accessible to all.

 

Anthropomorphic crocodiles inhabiting intimate, domestic settings play a central role in her work. These creatures evoke familiarity, fostering connection and empathy by transcending traditional depictions of the self. Andrews describes them as “seeing our humanity reflected back at us in unexpected forms.” To her, crocodiles embody both endurance and fragility-serving as mirror and veil, ancient witnesses to our triumphs and follies, having existed long before humans.

 

Andrews is currently working from TKE studios in Margate, England.  She has a degree in History, Literature, and Culture. She was formerly the artist in residence of Brixton Village where she unveiled two large-scale sculptures and curated an exhibition for International Women's Day. Her work has received personal praise from President Barack Obama and has been showcased in publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Juxtapoz and Glass Magazines 50th issue spotlighting rising British female talent.