Karla Hiraldo Voleau is a French-Dominican artist and photographer whose work focuses on intimacy and vulnerability.
How has your lived experience shaped your practice?
My life and my work are absolutely intertwined, and influence each other. I either make personal work about vulnerable or intimate situations that happen to me, or either take interest in broader subjects (gender in the public space, love, tourism, or abortion) that concern me in one way or another. I always start from a personal perspective, in order to talk about collective issues.
What are some of your biggest influences and motivations in your work? What issues are you passionate about working on?
I am most inspired when I discover great work — usually by another woman artist. Exhibitions, installations, performances, movies, essays… It fuels me to read or see other’s passion for their work and their art, and reminds me I have work to do too. When it comes to choosing new subjects, like I mentioned it comes organically through a personal experience, or a recurring theme in my life.
I am most passionate about working on women’s rights, the women’s gaze and the intimate. Storytelling is what I mostly think about and spend time on.
Where are you based and what excites you about the creative community around you?
For the last 2 years I have been living full nomad, going from residency to residency around Europe, and travelling for work — but my base is in Switzerland, with regular trips to Paris where I sort of grew up.
Switzerland has an amazing cultural scene, and a great network for supporting young artists. I am very grateful to have been introduced to such a diverse group of creatives.
See more of Karla’s work HERE
