Laila Tara H’s small-scale paintings on paper draw on the tradition of Indo-Persian miniature painting. Her Iranian heritage, and years spent moving through continents, has informed the language through which she articulates her own history of living in different cultural settings. Symbolic forms and multiple, concurrent narratives punctuate the space. Detailed figures, faces painted in profile, disjointed limbs, delicate foliage, birds, reptiles, and golden suns are all arranged in stark, startling compositions, creating a deeply personal narrative. Paper is cut and folded, puncturing, and destabilising space to introduce three-dimensional depth and shadow play. She uses pigments that are either naturally derived including deep blue lapis lazuli, walnut ink, clay earth ochre or from found materials such as crushed red London bricks.

Laila Tara H was born in London, UK in 1995. She now lives and works in London, UK and Tehran, Iran.

Education

Laila Tara H studied at The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts (London) and graduated with a MA in Miniature Painting in 2019.

Exhibitions

Her work has been featured in exhibitions at Super Super Markt (Berlin), Drake’s London (New York), Public Gallery (London), Purdy Hicks Gallery (London), Cob Gallery (London), O Gallery (Tehran), V.O Curations (London), Casa Balandra (Mallorca), Numeroventi (Florence), General Practice Gallery (Lincoln) and 145a Gallery (London).

Artists Anousha Payne and Laila Tara H on the importance of gathering and being inspired by their heritage
Friends of Friends, interview by Maria Paris, 2023