Paper is a primary material in Orla's practice, offering a space to explore ideas of memory, touch and transformation. Drawn to its dual nature, fragile yet resilient, she works with paper as both material and metaphor, echoing Zarina's observation that "paper is like skin": a surface capable of carrying marks, folds and traces of touch across time.
Guided by a minimalist aesthetic, these works employ geometric grids, repeated forms and folds and carefully considered colour to create quiet, layered surfaces. Their restraint invites close attention as subtle shifts in texture, rhythm and light become part of the experience.
This selection of works bring together the conceptual threads that run in Orla's practice, Blankets, Concertinas and Waves; and Tears, Each explores the expressive possibilities of paper while sharing a common language of repetition, rhythm and quiet contemplation.
ÉTUDE VALE OF TEARS
2026
Inked and waxed tissue paper tears on Kozo paper mould from corrugated roofing
26 x 24 cm
